"Montana."
"Montana?" exclaimed another man. "Why, that's where me and my pardner are bound. Going to the new fields?"
Mr. Harrison nodded. There was no object in concealing their destination, for they would soon be in the midst of the rush that always takes place when new gold fields are discovered.
"My name's Fred Hurd," went on the man who had last spoken. "This is my partner, John Curtin. We were in Nevada, but we went East to spend some of our money, and managed to get rid of most of it. Now we're going to new fields."
"My name's Gabe Harrison," said the old miner, and he introduced the two boys, in the hearty and easy fashion that prevails in the West. The other three men also told their names. They were Ade Bryant, the young man who smoked cigarettes, and Tim Walsh and Bill Case.
"Are you miners, too?" asked Jed, of the latter three.
"Nope," replied Ade Bryant, with a pleasant smile. "We just got rid of a bunch of steers, and we're going back to our ranch in Montana. My father owns it. It's the Diamond T Ranch," he went on, giving the name of the brand marked on all the cattle from that ranch. "Probably you've heard of it?"
The boys shook their heads. They had not heard much of outside matters in the quiet country village where they had lived nearly all their lives.
"Is your father Colonel Jack Bryant?" asked Gabe suddenly.
"That's him," replied the young man eagerly. "Do you know him?"