“Clues, hey, boss?” Bug Eye cried excitedly. “Snakes!”
“Yea, clues. Make believe you’re a detective.” The rancher stood directly on the place where Roy had told him Decker was lying. Then he faced about.
“This way they went,” he said, more to himself than to the others. “You can see the hoofprints of their broncos. One, two, three ponies.”
“They took his so he couldn’t follow, I reckon,” Teddy said.
Mr. Ball did not reply. He walked slowly forward.
Presently he uttered an exclamation and stopped. Then he bent to the ground.
“What is it, boss—find somethin’?” Bug Eye asked eagerly.
Mr. Ball nodded.
“Take a look,” he said in a queer voice. “Never saw one of these out here before.”
The others grouped about him. He held something up to them.