knew what had occurred, Joe's strong arms, aided by Cal's biceps, jerked him off his feet and into the tonneau. But the long lariat which was alread

he rope dug his heels into the ground and braced himself. Herr Muller would have been jerked clean out of the tonneau by

backward in a heap. But at the same instant the rest came to their senses, and headed by the ma

egard them, but, apparently realizing the hopelessness of attempting to ove

luckily nobody was hit. Nat's chief fear though, and his apprehension w

Nat as the angry, vengeful yells of

behind. Right ahead was the feeding herd. In a few minutes the car woul

op

oment the car

nted Nat, in a despairing vo

vely, although a grim look about the corners of his

err Muller, with what was almost the first free bre

little man, if those fellows ever get us you'll

Muller innocently, "if I voss a deader I

The cattle, terrified at the oncoming auto, had stopped grazing and were regarding it curiously. Suddenly, one of them gave an alarmed bellow. It appeared to be

unchers were now compelled finally to give up their chase

healthy-like," grinned Cal, hearing their shouts and yells g

the crippled auto to a halt a short distan

ps it'll take 'em a week

taking pictures. In doing so, he had dismounted, and wandered some distance from his horse. When he turned his attention to it again, it had disappeared. However, although at first he thought he had lost the animal he

ng, but der use voss iss?" he went o

mean, don't yo

uller indignantly. "Howefer, I egsplain by dem

rrected Cal

German. "Well as I voss saying, der bull-boy tells me, 'loafer vot you iss you dake id

think that the absent-minded German might ac

m lige I know it mein brudder.' But

," mutte

idt der picdures und gif dem my address i

elated this startling narrative without turning a hair; in fact, he sp

all right. Pudt der voss no use

ay there wasn't," laughed Nat, "

box hanging round the G

I von't pee hanged if dey don'dt le

r themselves,'" muttered Cal to himself as the entire party got out

g it was a troublesome on

nce more. Just as they were about to be off Cal gave an exclamation and pointed ahead. Looking up in the direction he indicated the others saw coming towa

those cowpunchers had you right after all, Mr

err Muller enthusiastically. "See dere

n't know it. I suppose that when your horse wandered off that cowpuncher came along on his pony and left it w

, chust a mistage," agreed Her

p the beast and restored it to its rightful

opened widely as he s

I'm lifing. Vot

that," admonished Cal with grave emphas

bumped along the floor of the valley and at last emerged at its upper end into a rocky-walled canyon, not unlike the one through which they had gained the depression in the hills. But to their uneasiness they could discover no road, or even

a hut or suthin' afore

place to make camp," gr

that in their excitement they

a spring or a place that isn't all strewn with rock

ahead in the dark," agre

doubly dense. But Nat, by gazing upward at the sky, managed to keep the auto on a fairly straigh

ey would not have the welcome illumination till some time later. They were still in the canyon, however, when a dim, silvery lustre began to

es, but which, presently, were seen to be as barren of vegetation as marble columns. Stumps of these naked, leafless forms littered the ground in every direction. In the darkness seemingly, they had penetrated quite a distan

asked Joe, gazing about h

Nat in a troubled tone, "it

hers a

e German, as he looked about him at the bare stump

gazing about him, shouted a

a petrified fore