"Our money!" cried Chet. "We ought to have made an effort to get that seven hundred dollars!"
"That's so—but it's too late now, unless we go after the pair on horseback."
"Let us return Dottery's horses to the barn first and see how he has made out with the negro."
They took the horses in charge and passed with them across the road and through the break in the wire fence. At the barn they found the ranch owner in the act of making Jeff Jones a close prisoner by tying his hands and legs with odd bits of harness straps.
"Got this one, anyway," growled Dottery. "Whar are the others?"
"Jack Blowfen has gone after them," replied Paul. "Here are your horses."
"Good enough. Say, will you watch this man if I follow Jack?" went on the ranch owner, anxiously.
"Of course," exclaimed Chet. "If you can capture Saul Mangle, do so. We believe he has seven hundred dollars belonging to us."
"So Allen told me."
The boys took charge of the negro, and mounting one of the horses Caleb Dottery rode out of the inclosure. He took the lantern with him, thus leaving those behind in darkness.