ired the professor, as they rode forward wit

if it is that, 'cording ter m

rive there by ten

at is, if none of ther s

it the Haunted Mes

n 'bout ghosts er spirits

ve that idea," said Walt. "T

ntic shapes he had seen flit by in the gloom of the sand-storm. But, viewe

mself. "There was so much sand blowing at the time

efrained from telling of his weird experience, f

rit and every rock was supposed to be endowed with sentient life. Happily, nowadays,

head of the rest of them, made no r

it, professor?" he inquired, with an expressi

," was the ready reply. "That is, always s

some jagged sierras grew purple and then black in the fading light. Fortunately there was a moon, though the luminary of night was in her las

It reared itself strangely out of the surrounding solitudes, almost as if it wer

patting his pony's sweating forequarters

ourish on cottonwood leaves and alkali water-yep, and git fat on it,

professor approvingly, as the

distended nostrils. As the cool night drew on, and they approached more nearly to the upraised form of the mesa, the lit

ter," commented Pete, as

he mesa. Striking such a spot after their long wanderings on the hot desert, was delig

timers' well at the base of the m

been riding a short distance in advance,

with impatience to get at the water. It required all the boys' management, in fact, to keep them from breaking away and getting at the water. In the heated condition of the little animals, this might have meant a case of foundering. At last Pete let the thirsty creatures take a little water, and afterward they were tethered to a c

path up thar. The good book says, foller the strait and narrer path, but it don't say nothing about doing it in the dark, so I reck

rt of New Mexico, although it is warm enough by day, nightfall brings with it a sharp chill. It was decided, therefore, to rig up the tents and sleep under their protection. The three canvas shelters of the bel

meal here for many a long day," said Jack, looki

ears or more since the first inhabitants of t

Pete, drawing out his old black briar and lighting it.

ad summoned up. Once, perhaps, this dead, black, empty mesa above them had held busy, bustling life. N

umerous openings and a zig-zag pathway leading up to the very summit. It was on this summit, which according to the most accurate information ob

n the subject. This was all so much Greek to Pete, who solemnly smoked away, every now and then putting in a word or two, but for the mo

s, he had bounded clear over the professor's head, and was in among the tents, searching for his pistol. Before one of the

u, whoever you are! Come on, I say! I'll give you a

r?" gasped Jack, who, with the oth

suthin' tiptoeing about behind me, and when I whipped suddenly round ter see if one of the critters hadn't broken loose, wh

d the others.

r, looking about him, and still gripping his g

t did it l

ete. "It was as big as that."

, Pete, you had dropped off an

cited cow-puncher angrily. "I only meant to convey to

in whose tones was a curious note o

It had red eyes, that glared like the tail-

was a nightmare, Pete. The dream of a rarebit fie

it?" asked Ralph, who ha

r back toward the direction i

on," declared the professor. "

re it goe

re?" chorus

there! Lo

the shadow of the solitary mesa. Sure enough, there were three or four enormou

fles, boys!"

jiffy four beads had been draw

the four reports rang out as one, the indefinite f