e relics of ancient woods, which exist in the remote Sierras, but they had never dreamed they would stumble upon one so opportunely. H

amp where they were for the night. The auto was stopped and the horse unhitched and turned loose a

e half hitch and left the horse to his own devices, first, however, having watered the animal at a

adjacent saucepans. A big pot of coffee also sent up a savory aroma. Altogether, with canned fruit for dessert, the Motor Rangers and their friends made a meal which quite atoned for the loss of their lunch. Even Ding-dong admitted that he was satisfied by the time Cal drew out a short and exceedingly black pipe. The former stage driver rammed this full of tobacco and then lei

g he had been inwardly cogitating for some time, "I've bin a thinkin' that whil

o's band may give us m

y, "I'm purty jes' nat'ly sure of it. They ain

on alone is capable of making lots of trouble for

r Muller, proudly drawing out of his pocket an imme

d of watch that we're ta

ell that he hadn't been asleep more than five minutes when he was roughly shaken by Nat and told to tumble out of the tonneau as it was time to go on watch. Already Cal, who like an old mountaineer preferred to sleep by

hman do it," he begged, snu

ur turn on duty. Come on now, r

was hauled forth, and, while Nat and Joe turned in, he and

ifle in his chilled hands, "you go off there to the right and patrol a hundred feet or m

t. Having reached the end of it he marched back to the fire and warmed himself a second. Then he paced off again. This kept up for about an hour

a

owed by two

g!

ded back toward the fire just in time to meet Ding-dong, who came rushing in with a scared white face, from the opposite direc

d Cal, in sharp, crisp tones

-out reply, "the p-p-p-pl

out the bright fire and leaving it a dul

s-s-saw their f-f

ng in this section before. But come on, boys, it's clear the lad

points of vantage in the automobile with their rifles menacingly pointed

moving a muscle for half an hour or more befo

n't see or h

," rejoined Cal, "don't take your e

hed with increasing vigilance. A

this," he declared, and then tu

re you saw

s-shoot at it?" indign

ually saw something

ink I was go-go-going to s-s-s-shoot

hen if nothing shows up I'm goin

you," ag

direction from which Ding-dong's fusillade had proceeded. Every now and then they paused to listen, hardly breathing for fear of interrupting the silence. B

gang trying to give us

s this they'd hev given us worse tha

quite some distance, and Cal s

were you wh

-don't know," st

gnantly echoed Nat, "y

," Ding-dong hastened to am

vered with grass, at the foo

d you fire in?" was

w-way," spoke Ding-dong.

rted to run, and the others

m behind one of the pillars, something that certainly did look like two fea

is rifle up to his shoulder, but Ca

fast," he exclaimed, "let's

former stage driver crept cautiously forward. Close at his

there-see!" exclaime

he guide, "and it's tha

of Herr Muller. It had broken loose in the night and was browsing about when the amateur sentry had come upon it. In the moonlight, an

, "this is one on

an!" shouted Joe, doub

alking up to the peaceful anim

ased when an examination of the horse f

laughed Nat, "you're a fine sentin

e if he can do any better," rejoin