Suddenly there sounded a confused shouting from back on the trail. Dimly Jack tried to recall where he had heard those voices before. He glanced along the rifle barrel which was trembling like a leaf in the wind.
Then there came a fulisade of shots, mingling with the shouts. The approaching horsemen seemed thrown into confusion. One or two of the steeds went down in heaps, throwing their riders. The shooting and yelling continued.
All at once there galloped into view a band of cowboys. At their head rode John Smith and Nat's uncle. Both were firing their revolvers as fast as they could.
"Hurrah!" cried Nat. "We're saved!"
"Just in time!" muttered Jack, as, weak and shaking, he dropped the rifle and sprang to his father's side.
There was a short, sharp struggle between the armed force from the ranch and the bad men. Some of the scoundrels got away, but the majority were rounded up. In the melee some were hurt.
"Are you all right?" asked John, as dust-covered and powder-begrimed he sprang to clasp his chums by the hands.
"Thanks to you, yes," said Nat heartily, and he was ashamed of the brief suspicion with which he had regarding the Indian. "How did you do it?"
"As soon as I saw you captured, I knew I could do more good free than a prisoner with you," John said. "I made the best time I could to the ranch, and I guess all the cowboys who could be spared came back as fast as their horses could carry them. We easily traced the gang to here, and,—well you saw the rest."
The cowboys, even Cactus Ike, who had played the horse trick on Jack, were busy binding their prisoners on their horses. Mr. Kent was so excited he did not know what to do. He insisted on shaking hands with Jack, Nat, John and Mr. Ranger every other minute. As for Jack's father, he soon felt better because of the medicine, and when the securing of the prisoners was completed, he found he was able to mount a spare horse and proceed.