“Don’t you worry about that! There’s only one gang of rustlers about here, and they do all the jobs. And Froud is one of them, I’ll bet! So is Checkered Shirt.” Teddy tossed the branding iron into the corner. “But if we did stay here, and even if the rustlers did return, how do we know they’d lead us to their cache? And suppose they caught us and we got plugged? That whole gang would head for the border, pronto, and drive their stolen cattle before them. They’d take our broncs with them, most likely, and that’d be the end. Nope, Roy, we’d better get the rest of our fellows and try to capture the thieves when they come back here.” Roy walked to the door, which had blown partly closed, and flung it open savagely. “I sure hate to leave here!” he declared, his mouth pressed into a thin line. “This bunch has got our broncos, I know it! What I’d like to do would be to wait here till they showed up, then with these rifles, make ’em tell where the horses are. I’m getting sick and tired of this waiting business. Can’t tell what they’ve done to Star! If I find he’s been beaten--” “Take it easy, Roy,” Teddy said softly. “You’re doing the very thing you always tell me not to do--lose my temper. That won’t get us any place. I want Flash back as much as you want Star, but we’ve got to go at it carefully. Snap out of it now!” “Guess you’re right,” Roy replied, with a slight grin. “I got sore for a minute, seeing those irons and things and thinking of Star. We’ll start for home and tell dad what we found, collect Nick and the rest and mosey back here as fast as we can. Baby! I hope the rustlers are here then! Come on, Teddy, let’s go! Rain or no rain, we’ll nab those thieves!” Roy grabbed his vest from the back of the chair and made for the front door. He was just about to dash out into the storm when Teddy caught his arm. “Think we better put the fire out?” the boy asked. “If they come back and find that going, they’ll know something’s up and they’ll move plenty quick!” “Right!” Roy exclaimed approvingly. “You’re sure using the old bean, Teddy. Out she goes!” Seizing a poker that stood by the side of the grate, Roy scattered the embers. He was about to ask Teddy to get some water when a slight sound at the door made both boys turn quickly. Startled, they watched the slow twisting of the door knob. Roy took a firmer grip on the poker. Softly the door opened, a crack at first, then wider. Of a sudden, it was flung hard against the wall, and Teddy and Roy started back. In the door way stood a man. His peaked hat was pulled low over his eyes. His face was sickly pale, the cheeks were sunken in. His shoulders drooped forward, his arms hung weakly down at his sides. His checkered shirt was ripped open on the left shoulder. Water dripped from him in great drops. And, as Teddy watched, he saw that these drops were tinged with red. CHAPTER XXIV BRAND