Produced by David Edwards, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) THE YOUNG RANCHERS OR _FIGHTING THE SIOUX_ "FOREST AND PRAIRIE SERIES," No. 3. BY EDWARD S. ELLIS AUTHOR OF "BOY PIONEER SERIES," "DEERFOOT SERIES," "WILDWOOD SERIES," ETC. PHILADELPHIA HENRY T. COATES & CO. COPYRIGHT, 1895, BY PORTER & COATES. [Illustration: THE DEATH OF THE FAITHFUL MESSENGER.] CONTENTS. I. DANGER AHEAD II. THE VOICELESS FRIEND III. COMPANIONS IN PERIL IV. TIM BROPHY'S DISCOVERY V. LEAVING THE RANCH VI. "TIMOTHY BROPHY, ESQ., AT YOUR SERVICE" VII. STIRRING TIMES VIII. STARCUS IX. ON THE BANK OF A STREAM X. BENT ARM AND HIS BAND XI. AT BAY XII. FACING WESTWARD XIII. IN THE FRINGE OF THE WOODS XIV. TURNED BACK XV. MISSING XVI. A THIEF OF THE NIGHT XVII. THROUGH THE WOOD XVIII. NIGHT AND MORNING XIX. A STARTLING SURPRISE XX. A RUN FOR LIFE XXI. AWAY WE GO! XXII. ON FOOT XXIII. DOWN! XXIV. THE FRIEND IN NEED XXV. THE PRAIRIE DUEL XXVI. ON THE GROUND XXVII. A GOOD SAMARITAN XXVIII. THE LONE HORSEMAN XXIX. A BREAK FOR FREEDOM XXX. COMRADES AGAIN XXXI. THE LAST HOPE XXXII. AWAY! AWAY! XXXIII. BREAD CAST UPON THE WATERS LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS THE DEATH OF THE FAITHFUL MESSENGER. A HOT PURSUIT. TIM'S FORTUNATE SHOT. THE DEATH OF THE INDIAN. THE YOUNG RANCHERS; OR, FIGHTING THE SIOUX. CHAPTER I. DANGER AHEAD. There was snow in the air. Warren Starr had felt it ever since meridian, though not a flake had fallen, and the storm might be delayed for hours yet to come. There was no mistaking the dull leaden sky, the chill in the atmosphere, and that dark, increasing gloom which overspreads the heavens at such times. Young Warren was a fine specimen of the young hunter, though he had not yet passed his nineteenth year. His home was in South Dakota, and he was now on his return from Fort Meade, at the eastern foot of the Black Hills, and had fully twenty miles to travel, though the sun was low in the horizon, as he well knew, even if it was veiled by the snow vapor.