subject back to the point where it had digressed.

“No, sir, ’twant gypsies nor yet again cattle thieves that let the yearlings out of their pen. ’Twas that wild one himself.”

“But, Slim, that doesn’t seem probable or possible for the fence was not broken and the cattle cannot open the gate,” Malcolm was saying when Betsy who had turned to glance at the corral in which the restless herd was pacing back and forth, uttered a cry of warning.

“Look! Quick! Slim is right! That wild steer is pushing the bar.”

With a variety of expletives the cowboys leaped forward and were in time to prevent a second escape of the herd.

For sometime after that, they were engaged in making the fastening of the gate more secure. The girls remained as interested spectators. When Malcolm at last straightened up, he turned to them and said with his pleasant smile, “And so, Mistress Betsy, we are doomed to disappoint you, for there really isn’t any mystery to unravel after all.”

But Slim had again removed his sombrero and he was thoughtfully rubbing his glossy brown hair. Suddenly he turned toward the little stranger.

“Ah say, Miss Betsy, what was that thar you asked me in the beginning. ’Pears to me like ’twas suthin’ namin’ gypsies.”

“Yes, it was.” Then eagerly, hopefully. “Mr. Slim, you didn’t see anything of them while you were hunting for the cattle, did you?”

“Wall now, I reckon mebbe I did and yet agin mebbe, I didn’t. Ah’m not tolerably sartin’, but I saw suthin’ mighty perplexin’.”

Then inquiringly to Malcolm. “You-all don’ figger that any copper diggers ’d be loony enuf to cross the desert in a wagon, do you?”

“No, indeed. I’m as good as certain that they wouldn’t,” Malcolm began, when Betsy hopped up and down and clapped her hands as she interrupted. “Oh! Oh! tell us quick, Mr. Slim, did you see the wagon? We’ve been hunting for it everywhere.”

The cowboy was so plainly puzzled that Virginia told him the story of the gypsy caravan as Davie had told it to Malcolm and Lucky.

“Wall, all as I saw was tracks headin’, seemed like toward Puffed Snake Water Hole. But Ah was driving the herd in jest then an’ couldn’t leave to do no investigatin’.”

“Good! I’m glad 

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