eggy has always declared that her sole imp

e alive with wriggling serpents of light. The criss-cross work of the bolts ranged in hue from a vivid eye-burning blue to an angry red. And all the time the thu

moil. But Juan, at the first crash, had flung himself fac

boys and Mr. Bell set to work on the by no means easy

ent, were having a hard time to convince that la

out here!" cried the terrified

all all be killed! I know

eggy bravely, though her own head ached and her

ott," chimed in Jess;

as if the skies must have been rent open. With it mingled a loud sc

been struck!" exclaimed Peg

who had followed her; "look at

he girl's cry, and for the first time since the storm had begun he moved. Directly he perceived the motionless form of his mount he appeared to lose al

suddenly sprang to its feet and, no doubt crazed by fear, began striking out with its hind hoofs. As ill luck

ink and struggling in the muddy water. His cries for help were piercing, but as Mr. Bell and the boy

vid glare, Juan came scrambling out of the mud-hole. He did not say a word, but went straight up to his burro. He saddled it in silence, strapped his old guitar on its back and, swinging hims

rsuit of their errant guide, but Mr. Bell said that

e declared, "and he and his burro between t

asked Miss Prescott, who, now that her alarm h

of Juan's type can subsist on next to nothing if he h

e thought so when he got

erse I once heard," pu

nyone to ask him to repeat the

ule, ne

zz saw or

emen, as the excitement of the night seems to be over, I think we had better retire. Remember

msy, not daring to perpetrate t

tretched round about. As they slumbered, the girls, with their silver-mounted revolvers-gifts from Mr. Bell-under the

sharp relief the black shadows which marked the deep gulches, cutt

light on an elevation directly overlooking the camp. For perhaps five minutes the horseman remained thus, silent as his surro

ell, ever on the alert, emerged from his tent to ascert

t to others of their kind who may suddenly appear. I wonder-but, pshaw!" he broke off;

ny, he returned to the tent he shared with his brother, "but

g man summoned the boys to him and observed that he wished them to take a little stroll to see if better grass for the stock could not be found in the hills. This was so obviously

mp the mining man informed them of his suspic

ared, "but it is no use alarming the others unnecessarily, and, after all, I may be mistaken. In any event, from now on, we

y may have wind of the object of our jour

nder; "the towns on the edge of the desert are full of bad characters and i

nyons that split the range of low, barren hills. Roy, whose eyes had b

xclaimed, pointing downward

ints of a horse's hoo

are not more than a few hot old, and certainly clinch my idea tha

is. Roy, too, had a troubled no

make of it al

who had been studying the hoof-prints, "but I can t

o fear from one ma

ne visitor of last night may have been only the scou

ny rate he must have had some

into this desolate p

e s

e face was grave, "I have half a mind to turn back and not bring

back now," declared Roy; "her mind is bent upon helping to get the air line f

greed Jimsy; "suppose, Mr. Bell, we wait and make our susp

ut I must confess I feel sorely troubled. It is agreed, is it not,

"the man who left those tracks may have been a prospector or a

ell, after a pause; "after all, nobody could h