In a short time he realized that he was lost. He called loudly for
help, but as there was no one to hear his cries, he had at last thrown
himself down on the ground in despair to wait for morning.

It was there that the leader of the rescue party had stumbled upon
him, Walter having heard and answered his hail.

"That's one. Spread out again, boys. We'll rope the rest of the
youngsters before morning. They can't be far away. The Professor, as
they call him, has a horse, and there's no telling where he is by this
time."

But the task they had set for themselves this time, was not quite so
easy of accomplishment.



CHAPTER XV

THE ROUND UP


Some miles from the camp the searchers next morning came upon an
abandoned camp where there had been a fire and where, from the bones
found there, they decided some one had eaten a rabbit.

"We're on the trail," said the leader. "We'll get him yet."

An hour later one of the men reported that he had picked up a
repeating rifle with the magazine empty. When Tad joined them later,