“Yes,” laughed Tad.  “Did you see him kick when Juan tossed a tomato can against his heels this morning ?  Kicked the can clear over a tree and out of sight.”

“He’d make a good batter for the Chillicothe baseball team,” suggested Chunky.  “He’d be the only real batter in the nine.  They could turn him loose on the umpire when they didn’t need him on the diamond.  Wouldn’t it be funny to see some umpires kicked over the high board fence?”

“Come along if you are going with me.”

Stacy swung into his saddle, and, galloping off, caught up with Tad, who was in a hurry to get back to camp before dark.

“Keep your eyes to the right, Chunky, and I’ll look on the left.  If you see anything that looks like a lazy Mexican and a lazy burro, just call out.”

“I’ll run over them, that’s what I’ll do,” declared the fat boy.  “Hello, there’s a fellow on horseback.”

“I see him.”

The lads changed their course a little so as to head off the solitary horseman, who was loping along in something of a hurry.

“Howdy,” greeted the lad.

“Evening, stranger.  Where you hail from and where to?”

“We’re in camp back here.  I’m looking for our guide, a Mexican named Juan.  He went away this morning and we haven’t seen him since.”

“And you won’t so long as his money holds out,” laughed the horseman.

“Then, you’ve seen him?  Will you tell me where I may find him?”

“Sure thing, boy, but I reckon you’d better not be going any further?”

“Why not?”

“He’s over yonder, gambling with some renegade Apaches.”

“Apaches!” exclaimed the lads in one voice.  “Those must be the same fellows we saw up in the range.  But how do you suppose he knew they were over there?”

“He?  Those Greasers know everything except what they ought to know—­ especially if there’s any games of chance going on.”

“Will you please tell me how we can reach the place?  We want to make a very early start in the morning, and I don’t like to take a chance of his not getting back in time.”

“If ye’re bound to go, keep right along the edge of the foothills.  You can’t miss the place.  Better keep away if you don’t want to be getting into a mix-up.  There’s going to be lively doings over there pretty soon,” warned the stranger.

“How do you mean?  I’ve seen Indians before.  Guess they won’t hurt us if they let Juan pow-wow with them.”

“This is different, young man.  They’re going to hold a fire dance to-night—­”

“A fire dance?”

“Yes.”

“I thought they weren’t allowed to do that any more?”

“They ain’t, but they will.  There’s a bunch of Sabobas from over the line.  They’re the original fire eaters.  They come over here kind of secret like.  Then there’s Pueblos, ’Paches, and bad ones from every tribe within a hundred miles of here.  Been making smoke signals from the mountains for more’n a week past—­”