fix."

"Shake," nodded the assistant superintendent, extending his hand. "Of
course I know about you. Dick has told me about your trips this
summer and he's been expecting you almost any time now. When he left
this morning he charged me to be on the lookout for you. Where's the
rest of your party?"

"I'm afraid most of them are in trouble."

"Tell me about it."

Tad related in detail all that occurred since they left Springfield,
not omitting the sudden disappearance of the Indian, nor the loss of
the ponies.

"So you've been hit too, eh? You are not the only ones who have lost
stock. It's getting to be a common thing in this part of the country.
Nor do they confine their depredations to stealing horses. They help
themselves liberally to whatever they happen to want. It's never seen
again. They have some secret method of smuggling their plunder from
the range that we can't discover," continued Phipps breezily.

"I am most concerned just now with getting food to my companions and
having some one start out for the Professor," urged Tad.

"Yes, I'm thinking that over. There are not many ponies in camp here.
We had more, but the same thing happened to them that did to yours,"
said the young miner. "I think Munson is planning to make a round-up
of the country with the idea of breaking up the band. You stay here