"Lucky for us we chanced to take a squint out of this window in the big living room before hitting the hay in our cubbyhole bedrooms." This being followed by a series of boyish chuckles, told plainer than any words could have done how pleased Lanky felt over the situation.
"Come along, and we'll slip out by the back door." Saying this, Frank led the way, with his chum trailing at his heels.
Mrs. Wallace and Minnie Cuthbert—a Columbia girl who had come West for the summer vacation, partly to be companion for Lanky's mother, and who was also a tried and true pal of Frank Allen's—had retired some time before, leaving the two boys to sit up and talk over their plans for the near future.
Softly Frank and Lanky passed into the kitchen, which they found empty at that late hour of the night, Charlie Gin Sing, the slant-eyed Chinese cook, having joined the bunch over at the bunk-house to listen as the loud-speaker sent out weird jazz, which seem to appeal to his sense of music.
"Wait while I take a peep first and make sure he didn't swing around to this side of the ranch buildings," Frank cautioned in his companion's ear.
"Coast Clear?" queried Lanky, with bated breath, a moment later.
"Yes. And I could just make him out moving toward the horse corral!" Frank informed him.
"Say, you don't reckon he's got some funny game up his sleeve, do you, Frank?"
"What kind?"
"Oh, such as would set the saddle band of broncos streaking it out on the prairie, mad with fear, to leave the Rockspur punchers without a single mount to saddle."