What I am getting at, Jack, is that your father should make up his mind not to part with his interest in the ranch till he knows all about it." "How is he to learn, when he won't go near it?
Of course he can write to the people out there, but likely they will not tell him the truth." "He must send some one whom he can trust, and let him investigate." "That does seem to be a sensible plan," remarked Jack, as if the thought had not been in his mind from the first.
"A sensible plan!" repeated the enthusiastic Fred, "it is the _only_ plan; nothing else can make it sure that he is not being swindled out of a big fortune." Jack was silent a moment, while he looked steadily into the brown eyes of his chum, who half-smilingly met the scrutiny.

Then the whole scheme burst forth.
"And whom can your father trust before _us_?
He must see that the best thing he can do is to send us out there to make a full investigation.

We won't charge him anything like what he would have to pay other folks." "Of course not; only our travelling expenses and supplies." "What do you mean by supplies ?" "Say a Winchester rifle and a revolver apiece, with the proper ammunition; what sort of supplies did you think I meant ?" "I thought it was food, while we were out hunting." Jack turned up his nose.
"If we can't keep ourselves supplied with food, when we are in a country that has the finest game in the world, we deserve to starve." "My sentiments exactly;" and as if the coincidence required something in the nature of a compact, the boys shook hands over it.
"What a splendid treat it would be for us to spend some weeks out in Wyoming!" exclaimed Jack Dudley, his eyes sparkling and his cheeks glowing; "it looks as if it were providential that father got hold of that ranch." "There can't be any doubt about it; but how much more providential it will be if we are sent to learn all that should be learned about it! I wonder if that can be brought about ?" Enough has been told for the reader to understand the plot formed by these two youths.

There could be no question of the grand treat it would prove to both, provided their parents could be persuaded to take the same view of the matter; _there_ was the rub.
Jack crossed his legs and thoughtfully scratched his head.

Unconsciously Fred did the same.
"It's a tougher problem than we ever attacked in Euclid," remarked the younger.