No direct command to pack the food and saddle up did the cowboys need and as day dawned they again entered the Elkhorn River.

Tom had been provided with an extra rifle Mr. Wilder had been carrying and great care did he and the other lads take to keep their arms and ammunition from getting wet a second time.

Arrived at the top of the bank from which they had leaped to safety, the party beheld a long stretch of blackened ground.  As far as they could see, it stretched away to the north and in width it was about four miles.

“Why didn’t it burn everything, instead of cutting a sort of path?” asked Larry after a survey of the scene.

“That’s one of the things you can’t explain,” replied the owner of the Three Stars.  “It just don’t, that’s all.  Of course, the wind has to be right—­that is, stay in the same direction as when the fire was started.  And when it does you can count on the fire’s following pretty close to its lines.  You see this one was set in a sort of semi-circle, with the ends burning toward one another.  If you want a fire to spread, start it fan-shaped.”

“There’s one way the fire helped us,” said Horace.  “We can travel faster than we could through the grass, and it doesn’t tire the horses so.”

“Just another proof it’s an ill wind that doesn’t do somebody good,” quoted Mr. Wilder, smiling.

“Maybe, but I’d rather go without the wind than have another experience like last night’s,” returned the owner of the Three Stars.

CHAPTER XXII

LAWRENCE’S PLAN

Realizing that they would be able to advance but slowly along the trail, giving their ponies a chance to rest, the men were riding a stiff lope.

At first Mr. Wilder had insisted that the three youngest boys return to the ranch as soon as Tom had showed them the trail, but they had pleaded so hard, asserting they were entitled to accompany the pursuers because of their discovery of the trail, that he had finally consented, making the condition, however, that when they entered the hills the boys must ride next the rear, where in case of attack, they would not be in the brunt of it.

Larry was following the edge of grass as they drew near the place where the fire had been started.  As his eyes roved over the billowy plains, they suddenly were attracted by a peculiar furrow that seemed to run through the grass like a channel.

For the moment he was tempted to call the attention of the others to it, and then, fearing their ridicule, decided to find out what it was first.

Accordingly he reined his pony to one side and was approaching the furrow when he was startled to hear a cry of delight: 

“I’ve got it!  I’ve got it!”

Hastily unslinging his rifle, the elder of the chums pointed it in the direction whence the unexpected voice had come and shouted: