"Lucky for me I missed her. I was rattled, or I'd never taken that shot."
"Who is she?" asked Curley.
"One of the young women from the Ox Bow. It gets me what she was doing in that spook place alone at night. I——"
"W-o-w!"
The exclamation was uttered by a familiar voice, at the sound of which the cowmen sprang to their feet.
"It's the gopher!" they cried.
"Chunky!" shouted Ned and Walter, running forward with a yell.
"I fell in," wailed the fat boy.
At sight of him the cowboys yelled with merriment. Chunky's clothes were torn. He was covered with dirt from head to foot, and his face was so grimy as to be scarcely recognizable.
Big-foot was staring at him in amazement. Striding forward, he grasped the lad roughly by the shoulder, jerking him into the full light of the camp-fire.