THE ELIXER CAVE
"Nifty hiding place—this," remarked Dick as the three rode side by side up "Smugglers' Glen," as they had jokingly named the defile.
"Sure is," agreed Bud.
"A man, or a band of men, if they wanted to, could hole up in here for the winter, slip out when they liked and raid a ranch, and get back again without any one being much the wiser," suggested Nort.
"Let's hope that doesn't happen," remarked Bud. "But it's just as well to know about this place. Some of our cows might wander up in here and, not finding them on the range, we'd think the rustlers had paid us a visit."
"That's right," came from Nort.
"Maybe rustlers have used this for a hiding place," was Dick's nest remark.
"Smugglers' Glen or Rustlers' Glen—it's about the same," commented
Bud. "If those fellows we fought last year, who were running the
Chinks over the Mexican border, had known of this glen they'd have used
it."
"That's the truth for you," agreed Dick. "And, speaking of Chinks, when are we going to get that Celestial cook we talked of?"
"I expect he'll be back at the ranch when we get there," was Bud's reply. "Fellow in Los Pompan promised to ship me out a good one."