"That's what's puzzling me," replied the younger cowboy.
"Say! Look there!" suddenly called Pete, pointing. "That's how they got out. A section of th' corral fence is down."
"The gate didn't come open at all," said Dave. "The steers pushed down the fence."
"Drive 'em through the opening," directed Pete, and this was done. As the last of the cattle passed in, Pete and Dave stood on guard astride their ponies to prevent the animals stampeding out again, and Dave looked at the broken fence. What he saw caused him to cry out:
"Look here, Pete! Some of those posts have been sawed almost through!"
"By the great side saddle!" exclaimed the foreman. "You're right, Dave!
There's been treachery here!"
CHAPTER VI
A CRY FOR HELP
Together, Dave and Pocus Pete examined the posts of the corral fence. There was no doubt but that some of them had been partly sawed through, in order to weaken them so that only a moderate pressure was required to break them off short, close to the ground.
"So that was his game; eh?" exclaimed Dave in a justifiably angry voice.