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called out, “You’ll be glad to hear that Ben collected his wages and left last night. He went off on a pony Pop gave him.”
    “That was very generous,” Nancy commented. She asked what the pony looked like and was told she was a sorrel with a broad band of white down her nose. The animal’s front feet had large patches of white on them.
    “She’s pretty easy to identify,” Pete remarked. “While you’re riding, you’d better keep your eyes open for Ben and his pony.”
    “I certainly will,” Nancy said.
    She took a saddle pad from the shelf and examined it carefully. Finding it clean, smooth, and soft, she swung it across Daisy D’s back, holding the gauze tightly in place. Then she located the comfortable saddle she had used the day before and put it on.
    “Climb up,” Pete said, “and I’ll adjust the stirrups to exactly the right height. I noticed, Nancy, that you ride more in the English style than in our western type.”
    “Yes, I do,” she replied.
    Nancy got astride. The stirrups were adjusted properly. Then she gathered up the reins and squeezed the pony with her legs. They rode off at a brisk pace.
    Daisy D proved to be a wonderful companion. She was affectionate and responded to the rider’s slightest signal. Nancy walked, trotted, cantered, and galloped. Daisy D did not object. The girl detective returned to the barn, smiling.
    “Daisy D is great,” she said to Pete. “I can’t wait to start on the pack trip.”
    He told her that the breakfast gong had already rung. “You’d better scoot to the mess hall,” he advised with a grin. “I’ll take care of Daisy D and give her some breakfast too.”
    “Thank you,” Nancy answered, and she ran off toward the ranch house.
    One hour later her group was ready to leave. An extra pony was being taken along to carry supplies. It was a gorgeous morning, and the six riders were exhilarated.
    Chuck Chase rode with Bess and they seemed to be having a delightful time, laughing frequently. Range Cooper kept pace with George, while Nancy and Pop Hamilton led the group.
    They followed the road for several miles, planning to turn off near the place where Roger Paine’s plane had come down. Just before noon-time Nancy spotted a lone rider in the distance. She pointed him out to Pop and the others.
    The rancher looked ahead intently. “I wonder if that could be Ben Rall,” he said. “If so, we’d better catch him! I found out this morning that he stole over a hundred dollars from the other men when he left!”
    The rider disappeared around the bend. As the group reached the turn, they found a steep hillside on their left. Hoofprints indicated that the man on horseback had gone up to the top. The slope had little growing on it, but a dense growth of trees covered the peak.
    Pop commanded, “Come on, boys! We’ll see who that is! Girls, you stay here.”
    The three girls dismounted and held their ponies. Nancy and George looked out over the wide stretch of land in front of the hill. Bess stood still, gazing up to the top.
    Suddenly she cried out, “Run, girls, run!”
    Nancy and George spun around to see why. Looking up the slope, they saw a huge tree trunk tumbling down the steep incline directly toward them!
    “Grab the ponies!” Nancy yelled.
    Although Bess had given the signal, she now seemed paralyzed with fright and did not move. George grabbed their two ponies and dashed out of the way of the oncoming tree. Nancy reached for Bess’s hand while clutching Daisy D’s bridle, pulling her and Bess to safety.
    The tree, coming at lightning speed, just missed them. It rolled for some distance along the flat area.
    No one had been hurt!
    Bess stood like someone transfixed, staring into space. Her cousin shook her. “What’s the matter with you, Bess?” she asked. “Come to! The danger is over!”
    Bess said she was sorry for not reacting faster after warning the others. “The reason was that I saw a face at the top of the hill leering down