"There's the sod house—over there in those trees," said Red, after another mile.
He was worried. The two other Diamond D men, too, were showing signs of nervousness. Had the south herd gone the way of the other?
They neared the sod house—a structure crudely built of layers of earth. It had one door and one window, and near it was a corral—empty. There was no sign of any one about, and there was no reply to Red's eager shout.
"Oh, Joe!" he hailed.
His face was a shade paler, as he quickly swung himself out of his saddle. He entered the sod house at a half run.
"Is anything wrong?" Train shouted.
Then they heard Red Morton cry out in grief and horror. Without waiting for anything more, The Kid and the two Diamond D riders dismounted and raced toward the sod hut. None of them was prepared for the terrible thing they found there.
CHAPTER XVIII
ON BLACKSNAKE'S TRAIL
At first, they could see little, for not much light filtered through the small door and window. Then details of the interior began to grow more distinct in the hut's one room. A tarp had been tacked over the dirt ceiling to keep scorpions and centipedes from dropping down on the bunks below. There was only a little furniture, and that of a crude sort. Some of it was smashed, as if in a scuffle.