PETE 
 COW PUNCHER 
 
 JOSEPH B.AMES
 
 Ir 
 
 2 1P09
 
 
 
 r^ 
 
 . and the promotior, 

 
 APOSTLESHIP OF THE SEA 
 
 413 90. BEACON STREET 
 
 SAN PEDRO, - - CALIFORNIA 
 
 OBJECT; The fpintuai moral and social 
 
 *sjfare of Catholic seafaren throughout 
 
 dbe world, by uniting them in a bond of 
 
 kibwahip, and the promotion of their a* 
 
 ! <*iou and social interests.
 
 PETE,
 
 PETE, 
 COW-PUNCHER 
 
 A STORY OF THE TEXAS PLAINS 
 
 BY 
 
 JOSEPH B. AMES 
 
 Author of "THE TREASURE OF THK CANYON 
 
 ILLUSTRATED BY VICTOR PERARD
 
 Copyright, 1908, 
 
 By 
 HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY 
 
 Published October, 1908
 
 SRLg , 
 
 mi 
 
 TO 
 
 ARTHUR COPPINGER 
 THE ORIGINAL "PETE"
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 I. TEXAS i 
 
 II. LOADING A FREIGHT 13 
 
 III. CAUGHT WITH A CATCH ROPE ... 26 
 
 IV. RITA BLANCA 35 
 
 V. TAKEN ON . , 46 
 
 VI. DONALD TAKES A NEW NAME ... 58 
 
 VII. POLOMA CAMP . . . . .68 
 
 VIII. PRINCIPALLY CALVES . . . .80 
 
 IX. CLAUDE BAGS SNIPE 94 
 
 X. FIGHTING A PRAIRIE FIRE .... 104 
 
 XI. SAVED BY A CAYUSE 119 
 
 XII. THE MISSING HORSES 127 
 
 XIII. CAUGHT IN A NORTHWESTER .... 136 
 
 XIV. PETE FINDS THE HORSE THIEVES . . . 144 
 XV. THE PURSUIT 153 
 
 XVI. THE HUT IN THE CANYON . . . .163 
 
 XVII. THE CRACK IN THE WALL . . . .172 
 
 XVIII. RIDING BRONCS 183 
 
 XIX. THE INVASION OF DALHART .... 194 
 
 XX. THE ROUND-UP 206 
 
 XXI. ON TRAIL 217 
 
 XXII. THE MAN WITH THE SCAR . . . . 225 
 v
 
 vi Contents 
 
 CHAPTER PACK 
 
 XXIII. FRECKLES INTERVENES 235 
 
 XXIV. BRANDING 249 
 
 XXV. HAZING HEINY . . . . . .263 
 
 XXVI. SLICKERS AND SANDBURRS .... 273 
 
 XXVH.*~THE STAMPEDE 284 
 
 XXVIII. THE UNEXPECTED 296 
 
 XXIX. EXPLANATIONS . . . . . .308 
 
 XXX. "S'LoNG" ........ 318
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 PETE Frontispiece 
 
 FIGHTING A PRAIRIE FIRE 112 
 
 A MOMENT LATER HE WAS FLOUNDERING UP TO His 
 
 CHIN 242 
 
 THE CATTLE WERE ALMOST UPON THEM . . .298
 
 PETE, COW-PUNCHER 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 TEXAS 
 
 "/^HANNING!" the brakeman sang out mo- 
 ^^ notonously. "All out for Charming!" 
 The whistle shrieked ; the train slowed down, and 
 with a final jerk stopped in front of a dilapidated 
 shed some twelve feet by eight, which looked as 
 though it had made desperate efforts to live up to 
 the title painted over the doorway, and had finally 
 given it up in despair. 
 
 Donald Harrington hesitated an instant on the 
 bottom step of the car, but the train was already in 
 motion again, so that he had to jump off to avoid 
 being carried along with it. 
 
 For a few minutes he stood still watching the 
 train swaying along the uneven track, and gradually 
 growing smaller and more indistinct as it puffed its 
 way across the brown prairie. It was the only
 
 2 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 moving thing in sight on the monotonous flat ex- 
 panse, and seemed to possess a strange fascination 
 for the young fellow. At length, when it had 
 dwindled to a mere speck, he drew a long breath and 
 looked about him with a puzzled frown on his 
 face. 
 
 " This is the station, all right," he said as his 
 eyes fell on the dingy sign. "But I don't see any- 
 thing else. I wonder where Channing is ? " 
 
 He peered into the doorway but there was no one 
 there to enlighten him. The room was bare and 
 empty, a single pine bench along one side being the 
 only article of furniture. Then suddenly, as he 
 stood there, a very unpleasant thought struck him. 
 
 " Jimminy! I hope that fellow wasn't stringing 
 me," he said aloud. " That would be simply the 
 limit. I don't believe he could have been, though," 
 he added as he turned away from the doorway and 
 walked around the building. " He had the names 
 and everything down too fine, and anyway there 
 wasn't any object." 
 
 A rough trail ran along the back of the station 
 which turned sharply to the right a couple of hun-
 
 Texas 3 
 
 dred yards below and disappeared over a slight rise 
 of ground. In the mud were the freshly made 
 tracks of wagon-wheels mingled with the prints of 
 mules, and at the sight of them Donald's spirits at 
 once began to rise. 
 
 "Well, that's something," he said to himself. 
 " They must lead somewhere, and if I follow them 
 far enough I'll strike somebody that can answer 
 questions." 
 
 Without any delay he turned up his trousers, and 
 picking up his bag, set out through the mud. 
 
 In appearance Donald Harrington was decidedly 
 not in keeping with his surroundings. Slight but 
 well knit in build; fair-haired and fair-complex- 
 ioned; there was about him that indefinite air of 
 breeding so easy to see and so hard to define. A 
 straight nose; clean-cut resolute mouth, and square 
 determined chin, with a pair of pleasant gray eyes, 
 honest in their directness; made up a face which 
 was extremely attractive. The well-fitting suit of 
 dark gray ; black derby of the latest shape ; the tan 
 covert coat on his arm : even the heavy pigskin bag 
 he carried, while they would all have passed unno-
 
 4 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 ticed in the crowded streets of an Eastern city, 
 looked decidedly out of place on that lonely, muddy 
 track across the Texas sandhills. 
 
 Nothing of this sort seemed to be passing through 
 Donald's mind as he strode along with an easy, 
 swinging gait ; his eyes glancing keenly to right and 
 left, searching for some welcome signs of life, but 
 his thoughts were plainly far away. 
 
 He was, in fact, recalling a scene which had taken 
 place little more than a week ago between his father 
 and himself at his home on Long Island, and won- 
 dering whether the attitude he had taken at that 
 time had been right. In the heat of the 
 discussion he had had no doubt of it, but 
 several times since then he had been troubled 
 with vague misgivings. He hated to be wrong, and 
 especially in a case like this when so much depended 
 on it; but right or wrong, it was too late to change 
 now. He had made his bed and must lie on it ; the 
 point was to make that bed as comfortable as pos- 
 sible. 
 
 The trouble had arisen from comparatively trivial 
 beginnings. Donald had never been fond of study.
 
 Texas 5 
 
 He was clever enough when he chose to apply him- 
 self, but his devotion to athletics of all kinds and out- 
 of-door life generally, had made him shirk school 
 at every opportunity. A year's convalescence from 
 typhoid when he was fifteen had thrown him still 
 further back and made him totally indifferent as 
 to how he got on. 
 
 Mr. Harrington, himself a graduate of Yale, had 
 always taken it for granted that his son would 
 follow in his footsteps. He was a successful man, 
 the guiding spirit of a number of great enterprises, 
 but unfortunately one who could never wholly lay 
 aside the cares and perplexities of business and 
 spend a certain amount of his time in really learning 
 to know his two children. As it was he was as 
 ignorant of their likes and dislikes, their hopes and 
 plans, their capabilities and limitations, as he was 
 of the habits of mind of one of his office boys, and 
 consequently he saw nothing of the way things were 
 going with Donald until it was too late, and the 
 latter astounded him one day by asking his permis- 
 sion to go into business. 
 
 The inevitable discussion terminated in a quarrel.
 
 6 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 The older man could not understand how any son 
 of his could lack the brains or the ambition to enter 
 college. He was quite unable to see things from 
 Donald's point of view, and he expressed his dis- 
 belief in the latter's ability to earn his bread, with 
 bitterness and sarcasm. 
 
 Stung to the quick by his father's intolerance 
 and lack of sympathy, Donald at once declared that 
 he would show him that he was perfectly able to 
 take care of himself in his own way without help 
 from any one, and without the assistance of a col- 
 lege education. One word led to another, with the 
 result that the boy left the house in a white heat, 
 only taking time to say good-by to his sister Sally, 
 who was nearly heart-broken at his departure. 
 
 He at once drew what money he had some 
 $300 from the bank, and hurrying to New York, 
 took the first train to Chicago. Why Chicago, it 
 would have been difficult to say. Somewhere in 
 his mind was a vague idea that he could more easily 
 find something to do in the West; but he was so 
 excited that he scarcely realized what he was doing. 
 His one thought was to get away from New York
 
 Texas 7 
 
 and it was several hours after the train started be- 
 fore he began to plan in earnest. 
 
 Then, as he sat alone in the little compartment 
 at the end of the car, he began to take stock of his 
 accomplishments. 
 
 He could play baseball and football, sail a boat, 
 and was perfectly at home in the water. He was 
 a good shot with rifle and shot gun, could box, a 
 little, and had been able to ride a horse as long as 
 he could remember. But he was wretched at fig- 
 ures, and wrote a hand which his teacher had often 
 said would disgrace a child of ten. 
 
 Somehow, as he considered all this, the prospect 
 did not seem so bright. It was very pleasant to be 
 able to put up a good game of football or to sail a 
 boat, but there was little practical benefit to be 
 gained by it. He was sensible enough to realize 
 that he wasn't cut out for a hunter or trapper 
 even if such individuals still existed, and gained a 
 living by their guns; of which he had vague doubts. 
 It would have been much better if he had been good 
 at mathematics and could write decently, but on the 
 whole he was shamelessly glad that he couldn't.
 
 8 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 " That would mean spending the whole day at a 
 desk," he said to himself. "When I'd be perfectly 
 crazy for a sail or a gallop." Then a brilliant idea 
 struck him. " I wonder why I couldn't be a cow- 
 boy." 
 
 " Thinking of trying cow-punching ? " said a 
 voice. 
 
 Donald looked up with a start. A man had just 
 seated himself in the chair opposite and was light- 
 ing a cigar. 
 
 " Was I talking out loud ? " he asked with a smile. 
 " I didn't mean to." 
 
 " You sure was," said the stranger. " Reckon 
 you were doing some tall thinking." 
 
 He was a tall, powerfully built man of some forty 
 years, carelessly dressed in clothes which, though of 
 good material, fitted him badly. His face, brown as 
 a berry and seamed with a network of tiny wrinkles, 
 was a strong one, and as he sat slowly puffing his 
 cigar and looking at Donald with a slightly quiz- 
 zical expression in his pleasant brown eyes, the boy 
 suddenly made up his mind. 
 
 " I was wondering whether I could do it," he said.
 
 Texas 9 
 
 " I've got to do something to earn my living and 
 I'm no good at inside work. Do you know any- 
 thing about cow-punching? " 
 
 The man's eyes twinkled a little. 
 
 " Reckon I ought to," he answered. " I've done 
 considerable of it in my time." 
 
 " Is it hard to learn ? Could I do it, do you 
 think ? " Donald asked eagerly. 
 
 " That depends ; can you ride ? " 
 
 " Yes ; I was brought up with horses." 
 
 " That's all right so far as it goes, but it ain't the 
 kind of riding you've been used to. If you're 
 thrown before your leg is hardly over the saddle, 
 have you got the grit to get up and try it again ? 
 Could you work with a branding iron till your arms 
 feel like they would drop off and every bone in 
 your body aches, and then turn to and do a spell 
 more? 
 
 " There ain't any cinch about it : it's just plain 
 hard work most of the time with precious little fun. 
 If you've got muscle and endurance and grit, there 
 ain't any reason why you shouldn't do as well as the 
 next man; if you haven't, you'd better not start."
 
 io Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 " I'm not afraid of that kind of work," Donald 
 said. " It's being cooped up in an office I can't 
 stand." 
 
 There was a few minutes' pause and then the man 
 went on. 
 
 " I don't see why you shouldn't try it ; but there's 
 one thing certain: if you ain't got to earn your 
 living, there's no use of your starting in. If you've 
 got money, or jest have to write home to get it, 
 you'll be quittin' the first week." 
 
 " I have a little money," Donald said. " But when 
 that's gone the only way I can get any more is to 
 saw wood or dig ditches, and I don't believe cow- 
 punching is any worse than that. I'd honestly like 
 to try it if you think I'd make good? " 
 
 " No reason why you shouldn't if you stick to it," 
 the other said, and then he added : " I'll tell you 
 what I'll do. I'll give you the name of the boss of 
 a ranch I used to work on down in Texas and I 
 reckon he'll put you to work. Got a piece of 
 paper ? " 
 
 Donald gave him an envelope, and taking out a 
 pencil, he wrote a few words on the back.
 
 Texas 1 1 
 
 " There you are, youngster," he said, handing it 
 to him. " That'll fix you up. Throw a bluff into 
 him that you can do anything going. There's noth- 
 ing like a good bluff, if you work it right. What? 
 this Pittsburg already ? " he added, peering out as 
 the train began to slow down. " It sure is. Well, 
 good-by, youngster. Keep a stiff upper lip and 
 don't get discouraged, and you'll do all right. 
 Maybe I'll see you again some day." 
 
 He gave Donald's hand a clasp that nearly broke 
 the bones, and almost before the boy could realize 
 it he was gone, leaving as the only visible sign of 
 his presence a few words scrawled on the back of 
 an envelope. 
 
 " Bob Edwards, Boss X L outfit. Headquarters : 
 Channing, Texas." 
 
 Donald read this over several times and then put 
 it into his pocket. As he did so, a thought suddenly 
 struck him. 
 
 " The deuce ! " he burst out. " I never even asked 
 him his name. What a perfect fool I am." 
 
 But it was too late now, so after a few minutes of 
 vain regret he went back to his berth and turned in.
 
 12 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 As soon as he had registered at the Auditorium 
 in Chicago next day, Donald hunted up an atlas and 
 proceeded to locate Channing. After some diffi- 
 culty he found it in the Panhandle of Texas on the 
 Fort Worth & Denver Railroad, and then ensued a 
 search through time tables and many consultations 
 with the hotel clerk as to the best way of getting 
 there. 
 
 He finally decided to go to Kansas City and 
 from there over the Rock Island to Dalhart, Texas, 
 which was only about thirty miles from Channing. 
 
 He left Chicago early the next morning, and 
 some thirty-six hours later found him at the end 
 of the long tiresome ride, cramped and uncom- 
 fortable, and proportionately rejoiced when the 
 brakeman announced that the next stop would be 
 Channing.
 
 CHAPTER II 
 LOADING A FREIGHT 
 
 I "VONALD walked briskly along for fifteen or 
 **-^ twenty minutes without seeing a sign of a 
 house. The trail was rough and uneven, and 
 somehow it had the appearance of not leading any- 
 where. Had it not been for the wagon tracks he 
 would have given it up and gone back to the station, 
 but these looked so fresh that he felt sure the wagon 
 could not be far ahead, and he made up his mind to 
 find it if it took all night. 
 
 A few straggling mesquite bushes mingled with 
 tufts of soap-weed were the only growing things in 
 sight, but a quarter of a mile ahead he noticed a 
 stretch of green which soon resolved itself into a 
 row of cottonwoods growing along the bank of a 
 shallow stream. 
 
 The trail led directly through these, and as he 
 13
 
 14 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 came out on the other side he found himself in 
 Channing. 
 
 A long, low, rambling building of adobe dom- 
 inated the foreground. It seemed to be in the last 
 stages of decay ; the roof was sagged and sunken in 
 a series of curves ; some of the heavy oaken shutters 
 were gone, while others hung disconsolate on one 
 hinge, failing to hide the gaping holes, stuffed with 
 every imaginable article of apparel. At the exposed 
 corners the adobe was crumbled and broken, but 
 over the tumbledown porch hung the weather- 
 beaten sign, The Exchange Hotel, which made up 
 for all other shortcomings. 
 
 Close to it a large, square adobe structure simply 
 proclaimed itself the Store. Beyond, along the 
 trail, straggled half a dozen houses of adobe or 
 boards. That was all. Not a sign of the ranch 
 anywhere, and with a sinking heart Donald won- 
 dered for the second time whether he had been 
 fooled or not. 
 
 In front of the store stood the wagon whose 
 tracks he had been following, and he walked over to 
 look at it. It was quite the strangest combination he
 
 Loading a Freight 15 
 
 had ever seen, and consisted, not of a single wagon, 
 but of four, hitched together one behind the other, 
 and harnessed to it were sixteen mules. 
 
 While he stood there examining it, a man strolled 
 out rolling a cigarette, and at the sight of him, 
 Donald suddenly became interested, for he was a 
 cowboy a real cowboy, and the first one the 
 boy had ever seen. Chaps, boots, Stetson; every- 
 thing was complete, even to the silk handkerchief 
 knotted carelessly around his neck. 
 
 " Wai, stranger," he said lazily, lighting his 
 cigarette. " Like my outfit ? " 
 
 " I was wondering what it was for," Donald said 
 as he walked around the rear wagon. " I never 
 saw anything like it before." 
 
 " Kind uh green, ain't yuh ? " the other said 
 mildly. " That's a freight." 
 
 Donald flushed a little. 
 
 " I guess I am green," he answered. " I've just 
 come from the East. I don't even know what you 
 mean by a freight." 
 
 The cowboy grinned at this naive confession. 
 
 "Wai," he said. "It's jest a freight; that's
 
 1 6 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 about as good as anything I c'n tell yuh. We use 
 it t' haul supplies t' th' ranch, an' so forth." 
 
 " Oh, I see," Donald said, interested. " Like a 
 freight train, only with mules; and you don't have 
 to have a driver for each wagon." 
 
 "Egg-sackly. Hit th' bull's eye th' first 
 crack." 
 
 There was silence for a moment, and then the 
 stranger walked over to the front wagon and stuck 
 a small package under the seat. 
 
 " Come in on th' down train? " he asked casually, 
 leaning against one wheel. 
 
 " Yes ; I came straight through from Chicago," 
 Donald answered. " I was thinking I might get a 
 job cow-punching." 
 
 * 
 
 "Reckon there ain't nothin' t' prevent if yuh fill 
 th' requirements." 
 
 " That's the trouble; I can't," Donald said. " I 
 don't know anything about cow-punching, but a 
 man I met on the train gave me the name of a 
 ranch the X L ranch and said I could most 
 likely get a job there. Can you tell me where I can 
 locate it?"
 
 Loading a Freight 17 
 
 " I sure can," the other said composedly ; " that's 
 my outfit." 
 
 " Yours ! " Donald exclaimed. " Are you Bob 
 Edwards?" 
 
 " Nope; he's th' wagon boss. He's back at Rita 
 Blanca." 
 
 " I certainly am glad to see you," Donald said 
 impulsively. " I was beginning to think that fellow 
 was stringing me and that there wasn't any such 
 place around here. How far off is it ? " 
 
 " Oh, it ain't far : 'bout thirty-five miles." 
 
 "Thirty-five miles," Donald gasped. "Christ- 
 mas ! How am I going to get there? " 
 
 "Yuh'll git there all right ; I'm going back t'mor- 
 row, an' yuh c'n come along if yuh want to. Let's 
 go in an' git some grub." 
 
 At the mention of food Donald realized that he 
 was ravenously hungry, and he was very glad to 
 follow his new friend over to the hotel and into the 
 dining-room where, at one end of a long wooden 
 table, a tall, long-limbed Texan, his' sleeves rolled 
 up and trousers tucked into the tops of heavy cow- 
 hide boots, was just placing some smoking dishes.
 
 1 8 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 " It ain't often yuh c'n git s'uthin' hot this time 
 uh day," his companion remarked as they sat down 
 on a wooden bench which ran along the side of the 
 table. " But Sam here is a special friend uh mine 
 an' most gen'ally does th' right thing. What yuh 
 givin' us t'day, Sam ; same old thing ? " 
 
 " Yep," Sam answered. " You don't git much 
 variety in this joint." 
 
 The " same old thing " was bean soup, followed 
 by wild turkey, fried potatoes, and coffee; and 
 Donald thought he had never tasted anything so 
 good in his life. He ate and ate, and only stopped 
 when he was too ashamed to eat anything more. 
 His companion eyed him approvingly. 
 
 " Yuh sure are good with th' knife," he re- 
 marked, as he leisurely picked his teeth. " Yuh eat 
 like yuh enjoyed it." 
 
 " I do," Donald said, laughing. " I haven't had a 
 good meal since I left Kansas City, and I was 
 nearly starved." 
 
 As they went out Donald stopped at the 
 bar. 
 
 "How much do I owe you?" he asked of the
 
 Loading a Freight 19 
 
 proprietor, who sat with his chair tilted up and his 
 feet on the bar, reading a paper. 
 
 " He a cow-puncher, Bill ? " the man asked. 
 
 " Sure thing," the cowboy answered. " Jest 
 comin' back t' th' outfit." 
 
 " Two bits, then." 
 
 There was a blank look in Donald's face, for he 
 hadn't the least idea how much " two bits " was. 
 However, he pulled out a two-dollar bill, trusting to 
 luck that it would be enough, and told the proprietor 
 to take them both out of that. When he got his 
 change, he discovered that the meals had cost 
 twenty-five cents each. 
 
 " Wai, supposin' we go out t' th' corral," Bill 
 said as they strolled out on the porch. " Th' X Ls 
 have a corral an' bunk house where we stay when 
 we're in town," he explained, " an' I reckon we 
 might find Dutch Jake there. He left th' outfit 
 about a week ago an' said he was goin' t' stop a 
 while in Channing." 
 
 Donald climbed up on the seat with Bill, and 
 when the latter started the mules he discovered 
 that they were driven with only one line a jerk
 
 2O Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 line, as Bill called it. A quick jerk made them turn 
 to the left and a steady pull to the right. 
 
 The trail went straight on past the last house and 
 then turned sharply to the left across the sand hills. 
 
 " Do you think Bob Edwards will give me a 
 job ? " Donald asked suddenly. 
 
 " Can't say," Bill returned, puffing on his ciga- 
 rette. " He sure won't if yuh ain't got an outfit." 
 
 " What's that ? " Donald asked curiously. 
 
 " Oh, a saddle, bed, slicker, boots ; an' some 
 clothes that ain't as swell as them yuh have on," he 
 added, his brown eyes twinkling a little. 
 
 " These things aren't much good for riding in, 
 are they ? " Donald remarked in disgust. " Where 
 can I get an outfit ? " 
 
 " At th' store, I reckon ; all except th' saddle an' 
 boots. We 'most generally gits them at Pueblo or 
 Cheyenne. S'pose yuh c'n ride? " 
 
 " I always have since I was a kid. I don't be- 
 lieve I could stay on these bucking horses you have 
 out here, though." 
 
 " That don't cut no ice. They ain't all like that, 
 an* yuh won't have t' ride broncs 'till spring. Yuh
 
 Loading a Freight 21 
 
 want t' throw a bluff into Bob an' tell him yuh've 
 branded cattle an' c'n ride broncs, an' all that. He'll 
 most likely take yuh on, then." 
 
 " Suppose he calls my bluff and wants me to ride 
 a bronc." 
 
 "Oh, yuh'll have t' take th' chance," Bill re- 
 marked, easily. " Wai, here we are." 
 
 In front of them was a long, low, flat-roofed 
 building of adobe with a door at one end and several 
 windows along one side. A couple of hundred 
 yards beyond was another building, considerably 
 larger and more solidly built and without windows ; 
 while still further on showed the high board fence 
 of a corral. 
 
 As they came up another cowboy appeared in the 
 doorway, yawning. 
 
 " Hello, Jake," Bill said. " Takin' things easy ? " 
 
 " Yuh bet," Jake answered. " Bin tryin' t' catch 
 up on th' sleep I lost last week. Any news ? " 
 
 " Nothin' much. I jest come in fur a load uh 
 salt." 
 
 " Wai, it's blamed dull around here. Reckon I'll 
 make tracks t'morrow or next day."
 
 22 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 " Where yuh goin' this time? South Ranch? " 
 
 " No, sir-ee. Think I'll go over t' th' Lazy X's 
 or th' J. K's. They both got a nice outfit, an' there 
 ain't s' much work on a small ranch as a big one." 
 
 " Wai, wish yuh luck," Bill said. " Don't s'pose 
 yuh want t' give me a hand with that salt ? " 
 
 "Not on your life!" Jake answered with con- 
 siderably more emphasis than he had hitherto dis- 
 played. " I ain't workin' fur no X. L. outfit now, 
 an' m' time's too valuable t' be givin' it away free 
 gratis." 
 
 "Suit yourself," Bill remarked. "I got t' git 
 busy." And starting the mules, he drove over to the 
 larger building and stopped in front of a door at the 
 far end. 
 
 " Can't I help you load the salt ? " Donald asked 
 as he jumped down and went to help Bill unharness 
 the mules. 
 
 " Sure, if yuh want to," Bill answered. " Glad 
 t' have yuh. It's kind of dirty work, though." 
 And he cast a doubtful look at Donald's immaculate 
 appearance. 
 
 " Oh, that don't matter," Donald said. " I can't
 
 Loading a Freight 23 
 
 wear these clothes at the ranch anyway, you 
 said." 
 
 " Not unless yuh want t' attract more notice than 
 'ud be healthy. Yuh'd most likely git chapped." 
 
 "Chapped: how do you mean?" 
 
 Bill grinned broadly. 
 
 " Yuh wait an' see. Yuh'll find out soon enough 
 if you stay with th' outfit any time." 
 
 By this time the mules had been turned into the 
 corral and Bill opened the door of the storehouse, 
 showing this division of it to be filled with big lumps 
 of rock salt, heaped up in piles like coal. He antici- 
 pated the inevitable question which was trembling 
 on Donald's lips and told him that the salt was 
 spread around near the watering places all over the 
 ranch for the cattle. Then the boy shed his coat 
 and rolled up his sleeves and they began to tumble 
 the lumps into the wagons. 
 
 Donald soon discovered that it was no easy work. 
 The sharp edges of the chunks scratched his hands, 
 and the salt, constantly rubbing into these scratches, 
 made them smart so that he could scarcely bear it. 
 It didn't seem to bother Bill, though; so he gritted
 
 24 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 his teeth and made no comments. He was deter- 
 mined that he could stand it as long as the other 
 did; but he was never so glad of anything in his 
 life as he was when Bill at last decided that they had 
 enough, and slamming the door, started back to the 
 bunk house, carrying on his shoulder a big roll of 
 stuff secured by straps at each end which had been 
 in the wagon and about which Donald had been 
 curious every time he had noticed it. 
 
 It proved to be Bill's bed, for when he threw it 
 down on the floor of the*bunk house and undid the 
 straps, a couple of pairs of blankets, four or five 
 comfortables suggins, the cowboy called them 
 . were disclosed, all covered and protected by the 
 voluminous " tarp," which formed the outside of 
 the roll. 
 
 " Where are the bunks ? " Donald asked, looking 
 around the room, which was perfectly bare of furni- 
 ture, save for a few boxes and a nail keg or two. 
 
 "Bunks! There ain't no bunks," Bill said, a 
 trifle testily. " We sleeps on our beds on th' floor, 
 an* I reckon Jake an' me'll have t' put ourn t'gether 
 t* make room for yuh."
 
 / 
 
 Loading a Freight 25 
 
 Donald protested that they need not trouble; that 
 he could sleep perfectly well on the floor; but Bill 
 wouldn't hear of it. He and Jake each spread three 
 or four suggins on the floor, and on them a pair of 
 blankets; then another pair of blankets and last of 
 all more suggins on top. 
 
 It was now nearly dark and all hands were pretty 
 tired, so they pulled off their clothes and crawled in 
 between the blankets, and in five minutes not a 
 sound could be heard save the deep breathing from 
 three healthy pairs of lungs.
 
 CHAPTER III 
 CAUGHT WITH A CATCH ROPE 
 
 IT seemed to Donald as though he had not been 
 asleep five minutes when he was awakened by a 
 stentorian voice yelling : 
 
 " Say, Kid, wake up ; breakfast's most ready." 
 
 He awoke with a start and jumped up to dis- 
 cover that it was long past daylight and that Bill 
 was standing in the doorway looking down on him. 
 
 " Am I late? " he asked, as he began pulling on 
 his clothes. " Why didn't you wake me before ? " 
 
 " 'Cause yuh was sleepin' s' beautiful," Bill an- 
 swered. " Yuh sure was cuttin' it off in chunks. 
 Git a hustle on now ; grub's about ready." 
 
 It took Donald just about three minutes to jump 
 into his clothes, and after plunging his face into a 
 basin of water outside, he felt quite ready for break- 
 fast. 
 
 This was a simple repast of bacon, potatoes, and 
 
 canned corn, washed down by strong coffee with- 
 
 26
 
 Caught with a Catch Rope 27 
 
 out milk, all of which Bill had cooked over a 
 fire outside, and the three of them did it ample 
 justice. 
 
 When this was over Bill announced his intention 
 of going to town for a couple of hours, and departed 
 without further words, leaving Donald to the tender 
 mercies of Jake. When the dishes were washed up 
 and put away, the latter lit a cigarette and, picking 
 up a rope which was coiled up near the door, strolled 
 out toward the corral. As they walked slowly along 
 Jake amused himself by idly throwing the catch 
 rope over mesquite bushes, fence posts, or anything 
 in sight. 
 
 Donald watched him enviously. 
 
 " My ! I wish I could do that," he said with a sigh, 
 as the rope slid easily over one of the posts of the 
 corral. " I suppose it takes years to get as good as 
 you are." 
 
 " Oh, I ain't nothin' extra," Jake said, coiling 
 the rope again. "All yuh need is practice; an' a 
 good rope," he added after a moment's pause, his 
 eyes fixed dreamily on the distant horizon. " It's 
 wonde'ful what a difference a good rope'll make. I
 
 28 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 got one here I wouldn't sell fur no money. It's 
 blamed hard t' git 'em jest right." 
 
 Donald examined it with much interest. It 
 seemed to be a good quality of manila rope with a 
 smooth, silky finish. 
 
 " Where could I get one ? " he asked. " At the 
 store?" 
 
 " Oh, yes ; yuh kin git 'em there, but they ain't 
 t' be depended on. I bought this in Cheyenne an' 
 I ain't never seen one as good. Got two of 'em an' 
 th' mate t' this is up t' th' house. I might let yuh 
 have that if I c'n find it. Yuh try your hand at 
 this one an' I'll take a run up an' see." 
 
 He handed Donald the rope and started back to 
 the house, leaving the boy to discover in an ex- 
 tremely short space of time that the art of roping 
 was even more difficult than he had imagined. He 
 had watched Jake's movements closely, and now did 
 his best to imitate them, but his efforts were quite 
 unsuccessful. Apparently he either left out some 
 essential feature in the throwing or put something 
 in, for the loop went anywhere but where he wanted 
 it to, in the most erratic fashion. He was still
 
 Caught with a Catch Rope 29 
 
 struggling with it when Jake returned, after quite 
 fifteen minutes' absence, but carrying a coil of rope, 
 neatly tied with pink string, in his hand. 
 
 " Wai, I found it," he said. " Fur a while I was 
 afeared I hadn't brung it from th' ranch, but it was 
 put away s' careful I had hard work t' locate it." 
 
 Donald's eyes sparkled. 
 
 " That's bully," he said. " I'd like awfully to 
 have it if you're sure you want to part with it." 
 
 " I wouldn't let everybody have it," Jake said. 
 " But seein' as yuh're a friend uh Bill's, I don't 
 mind helpin' yuh out. It cost me two dollars, but 
 yuh c'n have it fur a dollar an' a half." 
 
 " That certainly seems cheap for a good rope," 
 Donald said, taking out the money. Then, as he 
 looked up, he noticed a faint passing shadow of 
 regret flit across Jake's weather-beaten countenance. 
 
 "Are you sure you want to sell it to me?" he 
 asked. " Maybe you can use it yourself." 
 
 " No ; oh no," Jake said, hastily putting the 
 money into his pocket. " This one'll last me quite 
 some time. Wai, s'pose we mosie down t' town an* 
 see if there's anythin' doin'."
 
 30 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 "All right," Donald agreed. "And I can get 
 some of my outfit." 
 
 He put the rope carefully away in the bunk house 
 and they set out, reaching the store in about fifteen 
 minutes. Jake went on to the hotel while Donald 
 walked inside, where he found Bill seated on the 
 counter in earnest conversation with another cow- 
 boy. 
 
 " Hello, Kid," Bill drawled. " Come in fur your 
 outfit? Say, I've got a great chance for yuh. M' 
 pard here, Texas Jack, come in t' git a saddle he 
 ordered from Pueblo, an' finds word here t' come 
 home t' New Orleans. I was tellin' him about yuh, 
 an' he says if yuh want to, yuh c'n have th' saddle, 
 cause he won't need it fur a month or so." 
 
 " Isn't that luck ! " Donald exclaimed. " That's 
 the thing I need most and the one it takes the 
 longest time to get. Did it come all right ? " 
 
 " Sure; there it is, over there," Texas Jack 
 drawled, jerking his thumb over his shoulder. 
 " It's a daisy, too." 
 
 It was quite unlike any saddle which Donald had 
 ever ridden. The high horn and prominent cantle;
 
 Caught with a Catch Rope 31 
 
 the long leather skirts, wide stirrups and metal 
 conchas, with their dangling saddle strings, were all 
 new to him, but it certainly looked both business- 
 like and comfortable, and was, beyond question, 
 a well-made saddle. 
 
 " That's a beauty," he said, looking up from his 
 inspection. " What's it worth." 
 
 " Cost fifty-five dollars an' a matter uh five dol- 
 lars express," Texas said promptly. " Yuh c'n 
 have it fur that if yuh want t' take it; cash down." 
 
 " All right ; that's a bargain," Donald said, as he 
 took out his bill case. " There you are: sixty dol- 
 lars, and I'm much obliged to you." 
 
 With the purchase of the saddle, Donald's roll 
 began to look rather slim. Traveling in the West 
 is anything but cheap, and he decided that he must 
 go slow if he didn't want to be entirely stranded. 
 
 There were a few things, however, which had 
 to be bought, and they were soon picked out with 
 the assistance of the cowboys. His bed, a slicker 
 which was an oilskin with long skirts to wear when 
 riding in the rain ; wide-brimmed Stetson ; a suit of 
 serviceable corduroy; a pair of Dom Pedro spurs
 
 32 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 with spur leathers, and a few small odds and ends. 
 With the exception of the clothes, these were all 
 packed together and left to be called for when they 
 started for the ranch early that afternoon. The suit 
 he took with him to camp and changed into it as 
 soon as he got there. It was nearly eleven o'clock 
 when they left the store and went back to harness 
 up the mules. 
 
 Texas Jack came along with them. He was to 
 take the 2.30 train for Galveston, and intended 
 leaving his saddle at the bunk house. 
 
 When they reached the corral he caught and har- 
 nessed the mules, while Bill packed up his bed. As 
 the latter was coming out of the bunk house he 
 noticed Donald with his prized catch rope under his 
 arm. 
 
 " What yuh got there, Kid ? " he asked. 
 
 " That's a rope Jake sold me," Donald answered ; 
 and added with pardonable pride, " he got two of 
 them in Cheyenne and said they were the best he 
 ever saw. This is one of them." 
 
 " Let's look at it," Bill said, tossing his bed into 
 the wagon. He slowly undid the pink strings with
 
 Caught with a Catch Rope 33 
 
 which it was so neatly tied, and shook it loose, with 
 a very curious expression on his face. 
 
 " How much d' he tax yuh for it ? " he asked, his 
 lips twitching. 
 
 "A dollar and a half," Donald answered 
 promptly. " It cost two dollars." 
 
 " Two dollars ! Holy Jimpin' Jemimah ! " 
 
 The cowboy exploded in a roar of laughter which 
 was echoed by another from behind, where Texas 
 Jack had been an interested listener to the conver- 
 sation; and for five minutes neither of them could 
 utter a word. 
 
 Donald looked from one to the other in puzzled 
 silence. 
 
 " You fellows seem to think it's a big joke," he 
 said at last. " Isn't it worth two dollars ? " 
 
 " Not so 's yuh c'd notice it," Bill gasped. " Yuh 
 c'd 'a' got a good one fur about forty cents, but this 
 one ain't worth four. Somebody's broke it in 
 half an' throwed it away." Then he collapsed 
 again. 
 
 " Stung ! " Donald exclaimed. " I certainly am 
 easy."
 
 34 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 " Yuh sure are, Kid," Texas Jack drawled. 
 " Yuh ought to 'a' brung a guard-een along." 
 
 " Yuh didn't have t' buy no rope, anywhere," Bill 
 sputtered, choking a little. " Th' outfit furnishes 
 ropes. Gee! yuh're s' green, Kid, it's refreshin' t' 
 have yuh around after lookin' at sand hills all day." 
 
 The incident seemed to furnish no end of amuse- 
 ment to the two men all the way back to town, and 
 every once in a while they burst into shouts of 
 laughter, as some fresh point about it struck them. 
 They kept a sharp lookout for Jake, but that astute 
 individual seemed to have made himself scarce, for 
 there was nothing of him to be seen. 
 
 Picking up Donald's belongings at the store, they 
 went on to the hotel, where they had dinner. This 
 was practically a repetition of the meal of the day 
 before, and Donald enjoyed it quite as much. 
 When they were through they lounged about, 
 smoking and talking, until the arrival of the mail 
 from Galveston and Fort Worth, and when this had 
 been sorted they got into the wagon and started off 
 down the trail. 
 
 With a brief farewell, Texas Jack left them at the 
 station, and they jolted on alone over the prairie.
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 RITA BLANCA 
 
 OON after leaving the station, the trail turned 
 due west and a couple of miles beyond they 
 came to the wire fence which, Donald learned, sur- 
 rounded the entire X L ranch, which comprised in 
 all nearly a million acres. 
 
 The country was very flat, and to Donald's unac- 
 customed eye, it looked extremely barren. Here 
 and there were clumps and patches of tough, wiry 
 buffalo grass; a few mesquite bushes grew about 
 and there was plenty of bristling soap-weed: but 
 there was also a great deal of sand, and the whole 
 picture was quite unlike the mental one he had 
 formed of the rolling, grass-covered prairies. 
 
 The scenery was monotonously the same for a 
 couple of hours, and then Donald could see ahead of 
 them a wide break in the prairie as though it had 
 been cleft with a great knife. The trail ran straight 
 
 35
 
 36 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 to the edge of this and disappeared, and as they 
 drew nearer he wondered what sort of a place they 
 were coming to. 
 
 Presently they entered a small, canyon-like open- 
 ing, worn and eroded like the bed of a stream gone 
 dry. The walls on either side were of clay in 
 variegated colors: purple, yellow, and dark red, 
 with here and there a mass of weathered sandstone 
 jutting out. 
 
 Deeper and deeper they went into this canyon, 
 until suddenly the lead pair of mules disappeared 
 from sight, followed by the others in rapid succes- 
 sion, and in a moment more the wagon tilted down 
 at an angle of forty-five degrees and Donald found 
 himself clutching the seat to keep from pitching 
 out. 
 
 Down they went at a speed which seemed entirely 
 too rapid to be safe, and more than once the boy 
 found his heart in his throat as the wheels on one 
 side would suddenly sink nearly to the hubs in the 
 soft roadbed, or jolt over big rocks which were scat- 
 tered thick along its entire length. He made no 
 comments, however, and tried to look as though it
 
 Rita Blanca 37 
 
 was an enjoyable experience, for Bill appeared quite 
 calm and unconcerned, and it would never do to 
 show his nervousness./ 
 
 They went straight down for what seemed an 
 interminable distance, but which was in reality not 
 more than 150 feet, and then the trail turned off to 
 the right and zigzagged along at an easier grade 
 until they reached the bottom. 
 
 " What sort of a place do you call this ? " Donald 
 asked, as soon as he recovered his balance and could 
 let go of the seat. 
 
 " That's a sand-draw," Bill said, taking out his 
 tobacco sack. " Kind of a big washout or some- 
 thin' like that, I reckon. There's a lot of 'em 
 around these parts." 
 
 "Why, I thought it was all flat about here," 
 Donald said, in surprise. 
 
 " So it is ; north uh here. But there's a lot uh 
 draws between here an' th' Canadian, an' all along 
 th' river is th' breaks." 
 
 The draw looked to Donald like the bed of a great 
 river. It seemed to be about two miles wide and ran 
 almost due north and south. The eastern side,
 
 38 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 down which they had come, was steep and precipi- 
 tous, while the other sloped up very gradually. The 
 bottom was clear sand and it was so soft and yield- 
 ing that the mules had a hard time to get along, and 
 it needed all of Bill's efforts and a liberal dose of his 
 long lash to keep them going. 
 
 At last they struck firmer ground and a little later 
 crossed a small, shallow stream, which was nearly 
 dry. 
 
 By this time it was after six, and since it was 
 impossible to reach the ranch that night, Bill de- 
 cided that this was as good a place as any to camp. 
 The wagon was pulled upstream a hundred yards 
 or so and the mules taken out and staked to mesquite 
 bushes. Then the two of them scouted around for 
 chips for a fire. 
 
 It was almost dark before they had collected 
 enough, but it didn't take Bill long to cook supper, 
 and they both fell to with such vigor that there 
 wasn't much left to clear up. 
 
 Even while he ate, Donald had hard work to keep 
 his eyes open and as soon as he had finished, he 
 spread out his bed on the ground, and pulling the
 
 Rita Blanca 39 
 
 blankets around him, was asleep before Bill could 
 roll a cigarette. 
 
 Long before sunrise they were up and off. A 
 short pull took them out of the draw to the plains 
 again, which were level and grassy, and very much 
 as Donald had imagined them. 
 
 About eleven o'clock they struck the breaks 
 which name Donald found to be very descriptive. 
 Cracks, washouts, great stones piled up in indescrib- 
 able confusion: small and large canyons winding 
 in and out and intersecting each other at every point 
 of the compass, without rhyme or reason, made it 
 quite the worst traveling he had ever seen. 
 
 The trail wound in and out, through canyons, 
 over steep barriers, and down again into sand-strewn 
 hollows without number, until he wondered how the 
 mules could possibly keep a footing, much less pull 
 the heavy freight. 
 
 This continued for about an hour, and then, sud- 
 denly and without a warning, they came over a steep 
 ridge to the level ground again, and Rita Blanca 
 was before them. 
 
 The ranch house which faced them was rather an
 
 40 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 imposing building, nearly a hundred feet long, and 
 substantially built of clapboarding, with a shingled 
 roof. It stood on a rise of ground which sloped 
 down to a fair-sized stream that came from the 
 north and circled around to the westward, a little 
 below the house. To the right was a mass 
 of low buildings, sheds and corrals, and the 
 whole thing had quite the appearance of a small 
 settlement. 
 
 Donald, however, had little time for observation, 
 for almost before he knew it, they had passed the 
 wire fence and forded the creek, and were jolting 
 along in front of the ranch house. As they went by 
 the open door, he looked in, but there was no one 
 there and the place seemed deserted. fr ^- 
 
 Bill drove around the end of the building and 
 through the big gates of a corral which stood a little 
 back of the house and some two hundred yards 
 away from it. 
 
 " Wai, Kid, here we are," he said, as he leaped 
 down from his seat. 
 
 "Yes; and I wonder how long I'll stay here," 
 Donald said, following him. Now that they had
 
 Rita Blanca 41 
 
 reached the ranch he began to feel more doubtful 
 than ever of his chances of being taken on. 
 
 " Yuh won't stay here long whether he gives yuh 
 a job or not," Bill remarked, as he unharnessed the 
 mules, who one and all made a bee line for the gate 
 and pasture as soon as they were loosed. " Yuh'd 
 be sent t' one o' th' camps: that's where he sends 
 green men this time o' year." 
 
 "What do they do there?" Donald asked 
 curiously. 
 
 " Oh, ride fence, look after windmills, an' odd 
 jobs like that. It's a cinch. Who the deuce is 
 that guy?" 
 
 "Hello, men; just back from town?" said a 
 voice. 
 
 " Hully gee ! " Bill muttered ; " must be a stock- 
 holder." And he vanished into a long shed at the 
 end of a corral. 
 
 Donald wheeled around, and saw standing in 
 the gateway a man in a most extraordinary get-up. 
 
 He was a tall, lanky individual, with a pale, sal- 
 low complexion, and a thin, unprepossessing face. 
 In ordinary attire he would have passed unnoticed
 
 42 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 in a crowd, but his clothes singled him out for 
 instant observation. The suit was of a loud check; 
 the coat, fitted in at the waist in the exaggerated 
 manner which stamps a cheap clothier, was thrown 
 open to disclose a fancy waistcoat of the giddiest 
 pattern. The trousers were turned up at least six 
 inches from the ground, apparently to display to 
 the utmost advantage the red openwork socks and 
 patent leather ties with bows an inch and a half 
 wide. A striped purple and green shirt, a bright 
 red tie, and a straw hat, somewhat the worse for 
 wear, resting precariously on the back of his head, 
 comprised all the visible portions of his outfit. 
 
 "Just back from town?" repeated the stranger 
 in a condescending manner. 
 
 Donald came to with a start. He had been so 
 busy taking mental notes and trying to keep a 
 straight face that he had forgotten to answer the 
 question. 
 
 " Yes," he said, biting his lips. " We left Chan- 
 ning yesterday afternoon and just got in." 
 
 " Took your time, didn't you," the other remarked 
 with a short, disagreeable laugh. " You're a ten-
 
 Rita Blanca 43 
 
 derfoot, ain't you?" he added, eying Donald up 
 and down. 
 
 " Reckon I am," Donald answered. " Came out 
 to see if I could get a job." 
 
 " Humph ! You don't stand much show if you're 
 as green as you look." 
 
 " Well, I'm going to try, anyway," Donald said 
 resolutely. " I can't be any more than turned 
 down. Do you know whether Mr. Edwards is 
 around? " 
 
 " No, he ain't : won't be here 'till this afternoon. 
 Ever punch cows ? " 
 
 "No: did you?" 
 
 " I should say so," the other returned. " What I 
 don't know about the business wouldn't fill much 
 of a book. I'm going to get a job with this outfit 
 myself, and I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll speak to 
 Bob and see if he won't take you on. What's your 
 name, anyway ? Mine's Johnson." 
 
 " Harrington," Donald answered. " But I'd 
 rather you wouldn't say anything to Mr. Edwards 
 about me. I'd rather talk to him myself." 
 
 " Oh, well, suit yourself," the other returned. " I
 
 44 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 thought I'd make things easy for you, seeing as I 
 know the ropes and you don't." 
 
 By this time Bill had made up his mind that the 
 stranger wasn't a stockholder, and emerged from 
 the wagon-shed, very irritable at having been fooled. 
 Completely ignoring the newcomer, he gruffly in- 
 formed Donald that if he wanted something to eat 
 he could get it in the kitchen, and strode over to 
 the ranch house. 
 
 Donald followed, accompanied by Johnson, who 
 talked continually all the way. 
 
 The kitchen was at the end of the building near- 
 est the corral, and here Donald found Bill warming 
 some coffee on the stove, while another man, evi- 
 dently the cook, sat with his feet up on the sink, 
 languidly watching the proceedings. The boy was 
 a little surprised, but he afterwards learned that it 
 was the cook's duty to provide three meals a day at 
 fixed hours, and that if anyone wanted anything at 
 other times he had to forage for himself. 
 
 When it became evident that Johnson was going 
 to stay, the cook arose from his chair, and bestowing 
 a frosty glance upon the garrulous stranger, osten-
 
 Rita Blanca 45 
 
 tatiously left the room. Bill poured out the coffee 
 in silence, and helping himself to a chunk of bread, 
 pushed the rest over to Donald. The latter was 
 too hungry to talk much, but Mr. Johnson seemed to 
 have no trouble in keeping up a running fire of con- 
 versation, chiefly of an autobiographical char- 
 acter. 
 
 He told in detail of the wonderful records he had 
 made in roping, branding, and riding broncs; and 
 of the prizes he had won at various Frontier Days 
 all over the country. He was sorry he had not 
 brought some of the medals to show the boys, but 
 he was always losing one or two of them, so he had 
 left them at home. He was well known and much 
 sought after by ranch-owners throughout Montana, 
 Wyoming, Colorado; in fact, pretty much every- 
 where in the West except Texas. Strange to say, 
 he had never been with a Texas outfit, so he had 
 made up his mind to give the X L's the benefit of 
 his experience and show them how things were done 
 in other parts of the country.
 
 CHAPTER V 
 TAKEN ON 
 
 DONALD listened to all this with rather mixed 
 feelings. He had an idea that the real cow- 
 boy didn't brag so much about himself and what he 
 could do, but this man certainly seemed to know 
 what he was talking about, and must have had a 
 good deal of experience to have everything down so 
 glibly. As for Bill, he never vouchsafed a word, 
 but devoted himself strictly to business, and when 
 he had finished eating, shoved back his chair and 
 started for the door. 
 
 " I'm goin' over t' th' bunk house, Kid, if yuh 
 want t' come along," he called back over his shoul- 
 der; and slammed the door. 
 
 Donald wanted to see everything there was to be 
 seen and was beginning to tire of Mr. Johnson's 
 flow of words, so he made a break for the door and 
 disappeared, leaving that worthy alone in the middle 
 
 of an unfinished sentence. 
 
 46
 
 Taken On 47 
 
 " What you so cross about, Bill ? " he asked mis- 
 chievously, as he caught up to his friend. " Don't 
 you like Mr. Johnson ? " 
 
 " Gee! " Bill burst out. " Ain't he th' limit? I 
 ain't never seen anybody throw words around s' 
 much in all m' life." 
 
 " He must have had a lot of experience," Donald 
 remarked, suppressing a grin. 
 
 " Experience : him ! " Bill exclaimed scornfully. 
 " I bet he never rid a bronc in his life, nor used a 
 brandin' iron. He's all wind. I tell yuh, Kid," he 
 went on; " yuh've got a slim chance of a job, but 
 his is worse. Whatever yuh are, don't be windy." 
 
 The bunk house stood directly back of the ranch- 
 house, some fifty feet away. It was of adobe with 
 a shingle roof, and was very like the one at Chan- 
 ning, except that it was divided into two rooms, 
 and had a porch running across the front, with 
 wooden seats built against the walls and at the 
 ends. 
 
 After inspecting the interior, Donald went out 
 and sat on the steps to wait until Bill finished sewing 
 up his chaps, which had ripped along one side. He
 
 48 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 had not been there long when he heard the sound of 
 a horse approaching, and a moment later a big sorrel 
 dashed around the corner of the ranch house and 
 stopped in front of the door. 
 
 The rider slid off, and reaching down, deftly 
 unbuckled the cinch, lifted the saddle off and threw 
 it on the ground ; slipped the bit out of the horse's 
 mouth, and turned him loose. He had just put his 
 hand on the latch, when the door opened and Mr. 
 Johnson came out. He greeted the new arrival 
 rather more quietly than was his custom, and the 
 two stood talking for some ten minutes, so that 
 Donald had plenty of time to take stock of the man 
 whom he guessed must be Bob Edwards. 
 
 He was lean and long-limbed, with powerful 
 shoulders and a keen, dark, rather handsome face. 
 His eyes were black, and appeared to be looking 
 at Johnson with disconcerting directness, for the 
 cow-puncher from " everywhere but Texas " did not 
 seem to be up to his mark in the matter of volubil- 
 ity. Even at that, he did most of the talking, the 
 newcomer saying very little, and that only in mono- 
 syllables with an occasional nod or shake of his
 
 Taken On 49 
 
 head. After some ten minutes' conversation, they 
 both went inside the house, and a few minutes later 
 the door opened and Bob Edwards came out alone 
 and strode over toward the bunk house. He was 
 dressed exactly like the other cowboys and seemed 
 to have ridden hard, for his clothes were covered 
 with dust, and his well-worn chaps were still wet 
 from contact with the horse's flanks. 
 
 As he came up he nodded to Donald and walked 
 over to a basin which stood at one end of the porch, 
 and began to wash his face and hands. This done, 
 he sat down on one of the benches, and taking out 
 his tobacco, began to make a cigarette. Donald 
 waited until this was rolled and lit and half smoked, 
 before he made a move. He didn't believe in hurry- 
 ing a man who had just come in from a hard ride, 
 and he thought his chances would be better after 
 the boss had had a few puffs from his cigarette. 
 But when he had been smoking for about five 
 minutes, the boy got up and walked over to 
 him. 
 
 " You're Mr. Edwards, aren't you? " he asked. 
 
 " I'm Bob Edwards, if that's who you mean," the
 
 50 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 other returned, and added with a slight smile : " We 
 don't have many misters around here." 
 
 " Do you want any men? " Donald asked rather 
 anxiously. 
 
 " Don't know as I do," the other drawled. 
 " Know any one wants a job? " 
 
 " Why, yes," Donald said. " I do." 
 
 " Had any experience? Ever branded calves? " 
 
 " No." 
 
 "Ride?" 
 
 " Yes, I can ride." 
 
 " Can you ride broncs ? " 
 
 " I don't know, but I'm not afraid to try." 
 
 The black eyes seemed to look right through him, 
 and while Bob's expression was very pleasant, Don- 
 ald was glad he hadn't taken the advice so freely 
 given him, to throw a bluff about being experienced. 
 He felt sure that if he had, Bob would have called 
 that bluff in short order. 
 
 There was silence for a few minutes, during 
 which the latter seemed to be taking stock of Donald. 
 Then he rose to his feet and walked to the bunk- 
 house door.
 
 Taken On 51 
 
 " I'll think it over and let you know," he said, as 
 he went inside. 
 
 Donald sat down on the steps again and tried to 
 possess his soul in patience. He did wish Bob 
 would hurry up and decide, for the suspense 
 was very wearing; but it was at least three- 
 quarters of an hour before he put his head out of 
 the door. 
 
 " Got an outfit, I suppose ? " he said. 
 
 "Yes; it's over in the corral," Donald answered 
 eagerly. 
 
 " Well, I reckon I'll take you on," Bob continued. 
 " I'll want you to go down to Poloma Camp 
 to-night. That's about thirty miles due south; you 
 can't miss the trail. Report to Montana George, 
 who's boss there, an' he'll put you to work. Bill will 
 catch a horse for you to ride and another to carry 
 your bed. You'll have to camp to-night, so you'd 
 better get some grub before you go." 
 
 " All right," Donald said. " And thank you very 
 much." 
 
 " Say, Bill," Bob said, looking back into the 
 bunk house. " Just go out an' rope a horse for th'
 
 52 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 kid, an' throw his saddle on. What did you say 
 your name was ? " 
 
 " Harrington," Donald answered. 
 
 " All right. Well, you report to Poloma and stay 
 there until further notice." 
 
 Bill came out at that moment, carrying a rope, and 
 Donald followed him over to the corral. 
 
 " Wai, yuh got took on," Bill remarked, as he 
 unfastened the gate. " An' so did that gasbag 
 Johnson." 
 
 "Did he," Donald asked. "Is he going to 
 Poloma, too?" 
 
 " Not as I knows of. I wisht he'd go some- 
 wheres away from here, though. It's terrible 
 wearin', havin' a guy like that around." 
 
 There were half a dozen horses bunched in a 
 corner of the corral, and Bill walked over to them. 
 When he was within twenty feet, he threw the loop 
 of his catch rope back over his right shoulder and 
 then with a quick jerk sent it straight at the horses. 
 It dropped over the neck of a small bay which, 
 after the first startled jump, stood perfectly 
 still.
 
 Taken On 53 
 
 " Wai, there's your cayuse," he remarked. " Now 
 git your bridle an' saddle." 
 
 Donald picked up his bridle, and shouldering his 
 saddle, went back to the corral. 
 
 Bill adjusted the bridle and turned to the boy. 
 
 " Now yuh want t' take th' saddle up this way," 
 he said, suiting the action to the word. " Take th' 
 tree in your right hand an' th' skirt an' stirrup uh 
 th' off side in your left: then throw it on. That 
 way yuh don't git th' stirrup caught under." 
 
 He tightened the cinch and stood facing the horse, 
 the reins in his left hand. 
 
 " There's a little trick about mountin', too," he 
 said. "Yuh don't want t' walk up alongside a 
 horse an' take your time gittin' on. 'Bout th' time 
 yuh got your foot in th' stirrup, he'd start waltzin' 
 around an' yuh'd most likely git thrown. Yuh 
 want t' stand in front uh him an' hold th' reins 
 tight. Then turn th' stirrup around with your 
 other hand, an' git your foot in. After that, git 
 into th' saddle as quick as yuh kin, an' look fur 
 squalls." 
 
 With a leap he was on the horse's back, but
 
 54 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 the animal was a gentle one, and beyond a little 
 restive prancing, he didn't cut up. 
 
 " Jest hand me m' rope, an' I'll git a pack horse 
 fur yuh." 
 
 He rode out of the corral and returned in about 
 ten minutes, leading another horse. He then showed 
 Donald how to make a hackamore, or rope bridle, 
 and how it was fastened to the horn of his saddle. 
 When this was done, he was ready to start, except 
 for putting his bed on the horse's back. 
 
 " I reckon yuh c'n do that yourself," Bill said, as 
 they left the corral after tying the horse to the fence. 
 " Yuh'd better git some grub now. If there's any- 
 thin' yuh don't want t' take t' camp, jest leave it in 
 th' wagon an' I'll look after it." 
 
 Donald thanked him and hurried over to the 
 kitchen, where he gulped down some coffee and ate 
 some bread. Then he led the pack horse into the 
 wagon corral, and pulling down his bed, unbuckled 
 the straps. 
 
 " He said, just throw it over the horse's back and 
 strap it on," he thought to himself. " That ought 
 to be easy."
 
 Taken On 55 
 
 It wasn't, however. At the first try, the entire 
 bed went over the horse and landed in a heap on 
 the other side. It took five minutes to straighten 
 it out and then he tried again with less vigor. This 
 time the horse side-stepped, and the result was the 
 same. 
 
 " I reckon you'd better let me give you a hand," 
 said a voice; and looking up, Donald saw Bob 
 watching him from the gate. 
 
 " I don't seem to be able to do a thing with it," 
 Donald said, as he picked the things up and spread 
 them out again. 
 
 "It just takes a little practice, that's all," Bob 
 said. He picked up the bundle, and tossing it easily 
 on the horse's back, caught it underneath, and in a 
 moment more had adjusted the straps and the thing 
 was done. 
 
 Donald thanked him, and leading the animal out- 
 side, fastened the hackamore to the horn of his 
 saddle. Then he mounted without any trouble and 
 started down the trail which Bill had pointed out. 
 
 This led south from the ranch house and was 
 plain enough and fairly good going. He crossed
 
 56 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 the stream and went through a gate in the wire 
 fence beyond ; and then his troubles began. 
 
 Not more than five hundred yards beyond the 
 gate he had to jump a ditch, and as he did so, the 
 packhorse pulled suddenly back on the hackamore, 
 which, to Donald's surprise and chagrin, slipped off 
 the horn of his saddle. 
 
 Finding himself free, the miserable beast tossed 
 his head, and whinnying joyfully, cantered off along 
 the fence. Donald wheeled and started after him, 
 but his efforts were useless, for though once or twice 
 he got quite close to the horse, he had no way of 
 catching him. He had gone nearly a mile along the 
 fence, and was at his wits' end to know what to 
 do, when two cowboys suddenly appeared over 
 a rise, and taking in the situation at a glance, one 
 of them spurred his horse to a run, and took down 
 his catch rope. He caught up to the runaway in a 
 moment, and swinging his rope a couple of times 
 around his head, let fly, and Donald had the satis- 
 faction of seeing that animal's career of liberty 
 suddenly cut short. 
 
 While this was going on he was still some dis-
 
 Taken On 57 
 
 tance away. The ground was rough and he was 
 afraid to spur his horse. Consequently he was not 
 surprised to find that the cowboys did not wait for 
 him, but galloped on to the ranch-house, taking the 
 pack-horse with them. 
 
 He followed more slowly, marveling at the ease 
 and quickness with which they went down the rock- 
 strewn hillside, and inwardly not a little anxious as 
 to what kind of a reception would follow his speedy 
 and inglorious return to the ranch.
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 DONALD TAKES A NEW NAME 
 
 AS Donald rode around to the corral, he was all 
 prepared for a good laying out. His only 
 hope was that Bob had not seen the escape of the 
 ST"*' pack-horse, in which case he might be able to slip 
 
 off at once and be well out of the way before it was 
 :> 
 
 brought to his attention. 
 
 This hope was shattered, however, as he went in 
 the gate. The two strange cowboys had unsaddled 
 and were standing there, talking to Bob : the offend- 
 ing pack-horse was tied to a posty head down, and 
 looking as though he would stancffor hours without 
 moving. 
 
 " Well, Kid," Bob said with a grin as he appeared. 
 "What's the trouble?" 
 
 " I was jumping a ditch and he pulled back and 
 got away," Donald explained. 
 
 " Better put a couple of half hitches in the line 
 58
 
 Donald Takes a New Name 59 
 
 next time and you'll be sure of him," Bob said, and 
 then added : " It's too late to start now. You 
 might as well stay here to-night, and get off the first 
 thing in the morning." 
 
 Somewhat relieved, Donald slipped out of his 
 saddle and unbuckled the cinch. Then he pulled the 
 bridle off, and the instant he did so the horse made a 
 bolt for the gate, with the saddle still on his back. 
 Feeling the cinch flapping around his legs, he gave 
 a few buck- jumps which threw it off, and then 
 disappeared. 
 
 " That's another fool trick," Donald said to him- 
 self, as he picked it up. " I certainly am dotty 
 to-day. 
 
 " Where do you keep your saddles ? " he asked, 
 as he came back to the corral. 
 
 The two cowboys simply looked at him and 
 grinned. They had been viewing the whole per- 
 formance with interest and it seemed to amuse them 
 considerably. 
 
 Hardly were the words out of his mouth when 
 Donald saw half a dozen saddles lying in a row 
 along the fence, and with flushed face he walked
 
 60 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 over and dropped his with the rest. As he turned 
 he met Bill just coming in. 
 
 " Yuh got back soon," the latter said. " I seen 
 yuh havin* trouble with yuhr horse. Hello, Alkali : 
 I got yuhr tobacco." 
 
 " Good fur yuh," said the man who had roped 
 Donald's horse. " I'm down an' out. Where 
 is it?" 
 
 " Over t' th' house. We got a new arrival," he 
 added, as they strolled out of the corral, Donald fol- 
 lowing close behind. 
 
 " Who ;th' kid here?" 
 
 "Naw: he's all right. Wait 'till yuh see th' 
 other one: he's a peach. Talk yuh t' death, if yuh 
 let him." 
 
 A slow grin overspread Alkali's sunburned face, 
 as he carelessly brushed back his long yellow 
 hair. 
 
 " Bad as that ? " he murmured comprehendingly. 
 " Wai, we want somethin' t' liven us up around 
 here." 
 
 " Yuh'll git it," Bill said tersely. " That's him." 
 
 Mr. Johnson appeared at that moment in the door
 
 Donald Takes a New Name 61 
 
 of the bunk house, and as he saw Donald he gave 
 vent to a raucous burst of laughter. 
 
 " Ha, ha ! " he exclaimed. " Thought you'd come 
 back, did you ? Didn't take you long to find out you 
 didn't know much about horses." 
 
 " It wasn't so much not knowing about horses as 
 not knowing what kind of a knot to tie," Donald 
 said, flushing a little. 
 
 " Well, if a man had done a thing like that when I 
 was boss of the Triangle outfit in Wyoming," John- 
 son said loftily, " I'd have fired him on the spot." 
 
 " Jest see what yuh missed, Kid," Alkali said 
 solemnly. " It's lucky fur yuh Bob's such an easy 
 mark. Where's that tobacco, Bill? " 
 
 The tobacco was produced, and while he was 
 making a cigarette the supper bell rang, and they 
 all trooped over. 
 
 There were only seven at the table. Bob sat at 
 one end and Alkali at the other. Donald, Bill, and 
 Johnson were on one side, and opposite them were 
 Alkali's side partner, Ed, and a Mexican who had 
 come in last of all. 
 
 The conversation was brisk : due principally to the
 
 62 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 efforts of Mr. Johnson, which were greatly encour- 
 aged by Alkali's appreciative interest in his exploits, 
 presenting a marked contrast to the openly expressed 
 indifference of the other men. He told all about his 
 doings in various parts of the country; his accom- 
 plishments, and the rivalry he had caused among 
 ranch-owners, who all desired his services, with 
 even greater length and detail than he had shown in 
 the afternoon. Toward the end of the meal the men 
 were yawning openly. Alkali alone continued to 
 exhibit a polite and even an effusive interest in the 
 narrative, occasionally interrupting it to tell John- 
 son how pleased he was that the X L's outfit was to 
 have the benefit of his vast and valuable experience. 
 Consequently, by the time they got up from the 
 table, the latter had a firm impression that Alkali 
 was not only a very good friend, but that he was 
 quite the most appreciative fellow he had seen in a 
 long run. 
 
 "Wai, how'd yuh like yuhr supper?" Alkali 
 inquired, as they went out of the dining-room. 
 
 " Rotten ! " Johnson replied in disgust. " I never 
 ate such a bum lot of grub : no variety."
 
 Donald Takes a New Name 63 
 
 " It was pretty bad," Alkali agreed solemnly, 
 casting a sidelong glance at Bill who walked beside 
 him. "Of course we most generally have it better 
 than that, but th' supplies was delayed this week. 
 It ain't often we don't have oysters, an' game uh 
 some kind, with roast turkey an' ice cream t' end up 
 with." 
 
 " Well, that's something like it," Johnson said. 
 " That's what I've been used to ! " 
 
 Bill was suddenly seized with a fit of choking at 
 this point and disappeared into the bunk house, 
 where the others soon followed, making themselves 
 comfortable in various attitudes about the room. 
 
 Johnson talked with no signs of cessation until 
 Alkali suddenly said : 
 
 " What's yuhr name, anyway ? " 
 
 " Johnson," the other answered pompously. 
 " Claude Duval Johnson." 
 
 For an instant there was silence, and then came a 
 yell which nearly raised the roof. 
 
 " Claude Doo-val ! Hully gee, what a name ! " 
 
 " Lose it ! forgit it ! " 
 
 " Giv' him th' chaps fur havin* a name like that."
 
 64 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 When the noise had subsided a little, Alkali picked 
 up a pair of leather chaps from the floor. 
 
 " It's yuh'r desire that our friend here gits th' 
 chaps fur bein' named Claude," he remarked 
 suavely. " Very well ; will yuh take 'em, Claude, or 
 fight fur 'em?" 
 
 Johnson hesitated an instant. 
 
 " Oh, I'll take them," he said at length. But it 
 was quite plain that he did not know what Alkali 
 meant, any more than did Donald, who sat in one 
 corner a silent, but intensely interested observer. 
 
 " All right," Alkali went on. " Git on this bed 
 here." 
 
 Thinking this some new pleasantry, Johnson 
 arose and walked over to a bed which lay rolled 
 up and strapped on the floor. 
 
 " What do you want me to do," he asked, as he 
 sat down on it. 
 
 "Oh, that ain't the way," Ed said; and like a 
 flash he seized the man's arms, while Bill took his 
 feet, and a moment later he was lying face down 
 over the bed, and Alkali was cheerfully applying the 
 chaps with considerable force, and a peculiar draw-
 
 Donald Takes a New Name 65 
 
 ing motion which was very painful, to that part of 
 his anatomy where they would do the most good. 
 
 A great light broke upon Donald's mind. This, 
 then, was being chapped; and he watched the pro- 
 ceedings with an uncomfortable uncertainty as to 
 whether his turn would come next or not. 
 
 Claude did not take kindly to the custom. He 
 writhed and twisted and poured out a perfect stream 
 of profanity; and when he was released after 
 twenty strokes had been applied, he struggled 
 to his feet, fairly purple with rage and sputtering 
 out an extremely unflattering opinion of every one 
 present, mingled with threats of what he proposed 
 doing to each one of them. 
 
 Donald sat quite still, struggling between a desire 
 to laugh and the fear of attracting attention to him- 
 self, when Ed suddenly turned on him. 
 
 " Maybe somebody else's got somethin' comin' 
 to 'em," he remarked 1 significantly. " What's 
 yuhr name, Kid ? " 
 
 Donald wasn't going to take any chances. 
 
 " Pete," he said promptly. 
 
 " What's yuhr other name ? "
 
 66 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 " Harrington," Donald answered. 
 
 " H'm ! Wai, a fellow ain't responsible fur his 
 last name," he said; " so I reckon yuh'll pass. Why 
 tlr deuce don't yuh shut up or else do somethin' ? " 
 he went on, turning to Claude, who was still grum- 
 bling at the outrage of such treatment. " If yuh've 
 got any thin' agin anybody, bring charges, an' if yuh 
 c'n hold 'em down, they'll git what yuh got." 
 
 Not being able to stir Claude into action, Ed 
 brought charges against Bill for not bringing any- 
 thing good to eat from town, and the latter received 
 ten strokes of the chaps philosophically, and with no 
 apparent discomfort. 
 
 When one man brought charges against another, 
 the method of holding him was for the first man to 
 lie down on the floor and clasp the other about the 
 body, at the same time twisting his legs about those 
 of the man on top. Of course, if the latter could 
 manage to roll over and bring his accuser on top, the 
 chapping went on just the same, and it not infre- 
 quently happened that a man got most of the pun- 
 ishment he had intended for someone else; which, 
 of course, only added to the fun.
 
 Donald Takes a New Name 67 
 
 There was a momentary lull, and Claude, think- 
 ing that the worst was over for the night, recovered 
 his spirits, and presently launched into a descrip- 
 tion of some performance in Montana, in which he 
 played the principal and only part worth mention- 
 ing. He was rudely interrupted by Bill suddenly 
 accusing him of being windy, and prescribing an 
 application of the chaps as a remedy. Despite his 
 struggles Claude had to submit, and after ten 
 strokes had been given he was released, perfectly 
 furious, and sulked for the rest of the evening. 
 
 Not long after this, the meeting broke up, and 
 everybody turned in. Donald spread his bed next 
 to Bill's, and as he crawled into it he realized for 
 the first time how tired he was, and wondered 
 vaguely whether the next day would prove as event- 
 ful and interesting as this had been.
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 POLOMA CAMP 
 
 HE was up next morning at four, and after a 
 hasty breakfast went out to the corral with 
 Bill, who had good-naturedly volunteered to rope his 
 horse for him. He had discovered a pair of old 
 chaps, which he told Donald he might as well use 
 until he could order a pair from Pueblo, and as the 
 boy pulled these on he felt that they added not a 
 little to his businesslike appearance. 
 
 Bill roped the horses and put the bed on his pack 
 horse. Then he cautioned him about taking the 
 right trail. 
 
 " There's only one fur about twelve miles," he 
 said, as Donald climbed into his saddle and fastened 
 the hackamore this time very securely to the 
 horn. " Then yuh want t' take th' middle one. 
 Stick t' that an' it'll bring yuh straight t' Poloma. 
 
 S' long." 
 
 68
 
 Poloma Camp 69 
 
 Donald thanked him and rode off. As he passed 
 the ranch house, Bob called from the doorway : 
 
 " For th' Lord's sake, Pete, don't let me see you 
 again 'till I go down t' Poloma next week." 
 
 "I'll try not to," Donald laughed. "Anyway 
 this beast isn't going to get away from me to-day." 
 
 The day was a perfect one. The sun was just 
 appearing above the horizon in a blaze of golden 
 color ; the morning air was cool and fresh, and as he 
 rode down the hill toward the creek, drawing it into 
 his lungs in great deep breaths, he could have 
 shouted aloud from sheer joy of living. 
 
 Apparently Arkansas, his horse, was in the same 
 frame of mind, for he pranced and cavorted and 
 shied at everything in sight in such a coltish manner 
 that Donald was obliged to give him all his atten- 
 tion, especially as the ground began to grow rougher 
 as soon as he had passed the fence and forded the 
 stream. 
 
 There was no repetition of yesterday's mishap. 
 The pack horse pulled and jerked on the hackamore, 
 but it held fast, and Donald even doubted whether 
 he could ever untie it, so hard were the knots.
 
 70 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 He rode along at a pretty good speed for several 
 hours. After the first few miles it was easy going, 
 for the country was flat again and covered with a 
 thick tangle of tough grass, out of which an 
 occasional mesquite bush reared its solitary 
 head. 
 
 To Donald's unpractised eye there seemed to be 
 several trails, but as they all ran along together, it 
 didn't make much difference which he took. But 
 about eight o'clock he reached a point where the one 
 he was following branched off into at least eight 
 others which seemed to run to every point of the 
 compass. He reined in Arkansas and sat studying 
 them for a few minutes. 
 
 " Bill said there were three," he remarked aloud. 
 " It looks like he missed a few, or I must be seeing 
 double. I wonder which is the right one." 
 
 There was nothing to show him, however, so he 
 picked out the one which looked about in the middle 
 and seemed a trifle more traveled than the others, 
 and followed that. 
 
 Mile after mile he put behind him, without seeing 
 a landmark of any kind. At noon he stopped to
 
 Poloma Camp 71 
 
 munch a little bread, which he had stuffed into his 
 saddle pocket, and then went on again. Soon after 
 this halt he struck a wire fence running from east 
 to west, and at once turned and started along it. 
 He knew there was a lot of fence near Poloma, for 
 Bill had mentioned riding fence as one of his duties, 
 so he was pretty sure to come to something if he 
 followed it far enough. 
 
 This confidence was not misplaced, for in less 
 than half an hour he saw a solitary figure riding 
 leisurely toward him. As he drew near, Donald saw 
 that he was a young fellow of about his own age, 
 riding a spirited bay with an ease and grace acquired 
 only by long practice. He was slim and wiry, with 
 a mass of curly brown hair and good-humored 
 brown eyes, and there was an indescribable air of 
 jauntiness about his whole make-up, from the tilt of 
 his Stetson to the silver-mounted spurs on his well- 
 fitting boots. At first sight he struck Donald as 
 being just the sort of a fellow he would like to 
 make friends with. 
 
 " Hello, stranger," he said, reining in his horse. 
 " Bound for th' camp ? "
 
 72 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 " Yes : if you mean Poloma," Donald answered. 
 " Is it far? I've got sort of twisted." 
 
 " About six miles. I'm going back there in a few 
 minutes. Just about finished my fence, an' I reckon 
 th' rest of it can wait till th' next time." 
 
 He wheeled around and they started back 
 together. 
 
 "You're new to th' business, aren't you?" the 
 other asked, presently. " I haven't seen you around 
 before." 
 
 " I should say so," Donald answered, smiling. 
 " Bob only took me on yesterday, and I reckon I'm 
 about as green as they make 'em." 
 
 " Oh, you'll learn th' ropes pretty quick. Seem to 
 be able to ride all right." 
 
 " This kind of a horse is easy enough, but I don't 
 think I could keep on a bronc." 
 
 " Nobody else can 'till they've practised. Any- 
 thing doin' at the ranch? Who's there now?" 
 
 Donald told him, and ended up with a detailed 
 description of Claude and of his being chapped the 
 night before. 
 
 The stranger was much amused.
 
 Poloma Camp 73 
 
 " Oh, mama! " he exclaimed; " I hope Bob sends 
 him down here. Won't we raise Cain with him ! " 
 And he grinned in joyful anticipation. 
 
 For a time they discussed the pleasant possibili- 
 ties incident to Claude's joining them, and then 
 drifted to other topics. 
 
 Donald learned that his new friend went by the 
 name of Bronco Kid, or Bronco for short. He was 
 the youngest of the six men in camp, and his duties 
 consisted mainly in riding fence and looking after 
 windmills, of which there were a great number on 
 the ranch, to pump water for the cattle. 
 
 Riding fence was a regular inspection of a certain 
 amount of the fence which surrounded the entire 
 ranch, and keeping it in repair. That is, it was sup- 
 posed to be regular; but Bronco told Donald that no 
 one ever rode all the fence he was supposed to 
 ride. 
 
 " Some of it's so blamed bad there's no use tryin' 
 to fix it," he said. " And uh course there's no sense 
 ridin' it regular; it's a waste uh good time." 
 
 Donald asked about Montana George, and found 
 that he was only a cow-puncher like the rest of the
 
 74 Pete, Cow-Funcher 
 
 men, but having been longest at camp, he was the 
 one who transmitted Bob's orders. 
 
 " He's all right," Bronco said. " So's th' rest uh 
 th' boys, though Jack Nulty's a queer sort of a 
 gazabo : can't take a joke." 
 
 About three o'clock they reached camp and went 
 at once to the corral and unsaddled. Donald took 
 his bed off the pack horse, and turning him loose 
 with Arkansas, walked over to the bunk house with 
 Bronco. Here they found two of the men asleep on 
 the floor, and Montana George smoking a cigarette 
 in a shady corner of the porch. Donald told him 
 of having been sent down by Bob and delivered the 
 latter's message about the horses he was to have. 
 
 " All right, youngster," Montana said lazily. " I'll 
 giv' yuh your mount t'morrow, an' show yuh what 
 yuh've got to do. What's your name?" 
 
 " Pete," Donald answered. 
 
 " Wai, make yourself t' home. There ain't no- 
 thin' yuh c'n do t'day : it's too late." 
 
 "Can you do anythin' with a rope?" Bronco 
 asked as they strolled away. 
 
 " Not a thing," Donald confessed.
 
 Poloma Camp 75 
 
 " Well, you'd better get busy ; 'cause next t' ridin' 
 that's the most useful accomplishment a cow- 
 puncher's got. Come 'round to the tool house an' 
 I'll make one for you." 
 
 There was a big coil of rope in the tool house a 
 small building between the bunk house and the 
 corral and Bronco cut off a piece about thirty feet 
 long. He showed Donald how to tie it so that the 
 honda, or loop through which the rope slid, should 
 lie flat. Then he illustrated the different ways of 
 throwing it; depending on whether he wanted to 
 rope an animal by the fore feet, hind feet, or neck. 
 
 " All you need is practice," he remarked, as he 
 handed Donald the rope. " It's only a knack, an' 
 you'll get on. to it pretty quick." 
 
 Donald spent the intervening time before supper 
 in getting some of this practice, and in a couple of 
 hours he was able to throw it with fair accuracy, 
 and about once out of every three times he could get 
 it over a fence post or whatever stationary object 
 he was aiming at. 
 
 Supper was cooked out-of-doors, over a fire built 
 in a shallow hole scooped in the sand, there being
 
 76 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 no fireplace or chimney in the bunk house. A hori- 
 zontal bar, with upright supports, held a string of 
 pot hooks, on which were hung various-shaped pots 
 and skillets. 
 
 The men took turns cooking, and when supper 
 was ready, each one filled his plate from the big pot 
 and sat down around the fire to eat. 
 
 The first evening was a quiet one. Donald had 
 rather expected a repetition of the rough-house of 
 the night before, but nothing of the sort happened. 
 There was a little desultory talk about the doings of 
 the day, and one or two asked the newcomer his 
 name and a few questions about the ranch, but as a 
 whole they showed very little curiosity. 
 
 After supper pipes were produced, and a game of 
 cards started, but as soon as it grew dark every one 
 turned in. 
 
 Breakfast over next morning, Montana George 
 told Donald to come out to the corral, and he would 
 show him his mount. One of the men had rounded 
 up all the horses, and when they reached the corral 
 he saw about thirty of them there, of all kinds and 
 descriptions.
 
 Poloma Camp 77 
 
 " There ain't much of a ch'ice left," Montana said, 
 as they stood inside the gate. " Yuh'll have Arkan- 
 sas, uh course, an' I reckon I'll giv' yuh Coyote, 
 Monte, an' Socks; they most gen'ally go together." 
 He pointed out these horses, and then scratched his 
 head. " Th' only other one I c'n think of ( is 
 Freckles : that's him over there in th' corner." 
 
 Donald had noticed that horse the moment he 
 entered the corral. He was a tall, well-shaped ani- 
 mal, pure white except for a few tiny black spots on 
 his chest and sides. He had been a little disap- 
 pointed at the other horses, all of which were bays, 
 and very ordinary looking, so he was glad enough to 
 have at least one striking animal in his mount. 
 
 " He's a beauty," he exclaimed enthusiastically, 
 " I'd like awfully to have him." 
 ~" H'm : yes, Freckles's a good horse," Montana 
 said slowly. " Wai, which one d'yuh want t' ride? 
 We ought t' be off." 
 
 " I'll try Freckles," Donald said promptly. 
 
 Montana hesitated a moment, as though he was 
 about to say something, and then he changed his 
 mind.
 
 78 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 " All right," he said. " Yuh'r th' doctor." 
 
 Uncoiling his rope, he walked forward a few 
 steps and with a quick jerk sent the loop over 
 Freckles' neck. The horse gave a slight start, and 
 then stood perfectly still. 
 
 Montana threw the saddle on and tightened the 
 cinch, while Donald slipped on the bridle. Freckles 
 made several vicious snaps at him, but he didn't 
 think much of that. It was only after Montana had 
 removed the rope and he stood facing the horse with 
 the reins tight, that he had a curious feeling that 
 something was going to happen. 
 
 Then he saw, for the first time, that every man in 
 camp was in the corral. They all seemed to be busy 
 at something but Donald noticed that each one had 
 an eye cocked in his direction, and he realized that 
 they were waiting to see some fun when he got on 
 Freckles' back. 
 
 It wasn't a pleasant idea at all, and he wished 
 there was some way of getting out of it and taking 
 another horse. But that, of course, was impossible : 
 it was too late now, and he would have to go 
 through with it.
 
 Poloma Camp 79 
 
 " Might as well come now as any time," he 
 thought, as he tightened his grip on the reins. 
 " Anyhow, I'll stick on as long as I can, and show 
 them I'm not afraid." 
 
 He turned the stirrup and put his foot into it. 
 There was an instant's pause, and then with a quick 
 spring he was in the saddle, and as luck would have 
 it, his right foot slipped easily into the other stirrup. 
 Then he took a good grip on the reins and waited.
 
 CHAPTER VIII 
 PRINCIPALLY CALVES 
 
 FOR a moment Donald thought nothing was 
 coming off, for Freckles stood like a statue. 
 Then suddenly his head went down out of sight; 
 his back went up, and the boy felt as though the 
 ground had come up and struck him. If he had not 
 been ready for something of the sort, he could never 
 have stayed on five seconds. As it was, he was 
 lifted a good two feet out of the saddle, and dropped 
 back into it with a thud which jarred every tooth in 
 his head. He had just time to get another grip with 
 his knees, when the horse tried it again. 
 
 " Get a holt ! " Bronco yelled from his position on 
 the top rail of the fence. " Hang your spurs into 
 him!" 
 
 Donald had forgotten that he had spurs, but at 
 this reminder, he jammed them into the horse's 
 flanks and gave him a couple of good licks with the 
 
 leather quirt which dangled at his wrist. 
 
 80
 
 Principally Calves 8 1 
 
 With a snort of rage Freckles changed his tactics, 
 and bucking again, he pitched suddenly to one side, 
 coming down with his fore feet perfectly rigid. 
 Then he repeated the performance, this time sway- 
 ing to the other side. With the combined hold of 
 spurs, knees, and hands, Donald managed to keep his 
 seat for a couple of minutes, but he felt his grip 
 giving way, and knew it couldn't last long. Then 
 he lost one stirrup and the next jump sent him fly- 
 ing over the horse's head. 
 
 He landed on his shoulder fifteen feet away, 
 turned a complete somersault, and scrambled up 
 again in time to grab the bridle before Freckles 
 could bolt. Then he stood there for a minute, trying 
 to get his breath. 
 
 " Yuh ain't bad fur a greenhorn," Montana 
 drawled. " Better giv' him up fur t'day an' take 
 another one." 
 
 " I'll just try him once more," Donald gasped, 
 " and see if I can do any better." 
 
 A moment later he was in the saddle again, and 
 this time he lasted about three minutes before he 
 went flying into the air miles, it seemed to him
 
 82 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 to land, stunned and a little dazed, on his side some 
 distance away. 
 
 When he got up Montana was taking off the 
 saddle. 
 
 "I reckon that'll be about all to-day," he 
 remarked, as he sent Freckles flying with a cut of 
 his rope. 
 
 " I guess it will," Donald said ruefully, rubbing 
 his knuckles, which had been badly skinned on a 
 rock. " I didn't know a horse could act up like that. 
 Say : just pick out the quietest one in the bunch, will 
 you ? " he added as Montana shook out his rope. " I 
 don't want any more pitching ones to-day." 
 
 " Yuh'll git used to 'em pretty quick," Montana 
 laughed. " Won't he, Bronco? " 
 
 " He sure will," Bronco answered, as he led out 
 his own horse. " He hung on longer'n I thought he 
 would this time." 
 
 Donald had no trouble with Monte, a gentle, easy- 
 going bay; and ten minutes later he and Montana 
 left camp, and struck south along the fence. All 
 that morning they rode, stopping now and then to 
 nail up fallen wire with staples, and Donald soon
 
 Principally Calves 83 
 
 learned that so long as a fence was standing up it 
 was all right. There were stretches of this fence 
 where it seemed to him to be tottering on its last 
 legs and hardly worth repairing, but Montana as- 
 sured him that it was good for a long time yet, and 
 that all he need think about was not to have too 
 much wire dangling, and not to let the fence fall 
 down altogether. 
 
 They were back in camp before three, and after 
 dinner, Donald went out to the corral, where there 
 were two horses, and proceeded to drive them into 
 a state of frantic excitement by his strenuous, but 
 unskilful efforts to rope them. 
 
 That evening the men were noticeably more socia- 
 ble. His performance with Freckles seemed to 
 have raised him considerably in their estimation, 
 and showed that, though a tenderfoot, he had his 
 share of pluck and determination. 
 
 Donald arose early, and as soon as the horses had 
 been rounded up into the corral, he took his rope 
 and went out. Shutting the gate behind him, he 
 made a loop nearly large enough to go around the 
 bunk house, and advanced upon the horses.
 
 84 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 After several throws, he accidentally got it around 
 Coyote's neck, and started to lead him out of the 
 corral. Coyote did not like to be led, and pulled 
 restively on the rope, and then, as luck would have 
 it, just as Donald swung the gate open, the other 
 horses with one accord, made a dash for it, and 
 pushing through in a body, galloped off over the 
 prairie. 
 
 " Now I've done it," Donald exclaimed in dismay. 
 " Won't I catch it, though ! " _ 
 
 He saddled up as quickly as he could, and \ tying 
 Coyote to the f ence,| hurried over to the bunk house 
 to tell Montana. 
 
 The latter met him at the door and took in the 
 situation at a glance. 
 
 " Who let th' horses out ? " he demanded. 
 
 " I was leading Coyote out," Donald explained : 
 "and they got through the gate before I could stop 
 them." 
 
 " Better round 'em up again, then, before th' boys 
 git wise," Montana remarked significantly. 
 
 Donald hadn't the least idea how that was done, 
 but realizing that it was up to him to do something,
 
 Principally Calves 85 
 
 he opened the corral gate wide, and jumping on 
 Coyote, started at a gallop to where the horses were 
 grazing some distance away. Fortunately Coyote 
 knew more about it than he did, and when they ap- 
 proached the horses he commenced to circle around 
 and around them, gradually bunching them closer 
 together and slowly driving them toward the corral. 
 In what seemed to Donald an incredibly short time, 
 they were back inside the fence, and the gate 
 shut before any one seemed to have noticed their 
 absence. 
 
 Montana went out with him again that morning 
 for three or four hours, and taking him to a couple 
 of windmills, showed him how to grease them 
 and tighten up the various boks. Then he left him, 
 telling him he had better ride fence for the rest of 
 the day, and pointing out the direction in which it 
 lay. 
 
 Having found the fence, Donald rode slowly 
 along it, revolving in his mind the various interest- 
 ing happenings of the past few days, and wondering 
 how soon he would be able to stick on Freckles and 
 to throw a rope with any degree of accuracy.
 
 86 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 He had not gone far when he came upon a small 
 bunch of cows and calves, scratching their backs on 
 the fence. He at once resolved to get some prac- 
 tice, and taking down his rope, he uncoiled it and 
 threw it at the bunch at random. 
 
 It fell to the ground, and a calf promptly floun- 
 dered into the loop with both hind feet. Highly 
 elated, Donald pulled it tight, and then realized 
 that, having roped the beast, he didn't in the least 
 know what to do with it. The calf a robust year- 
 ling at once set up a bawling and its mother rushed 
 to the rescue, followed by most of the others, who 
 crowded around, stepping on the rope and getting in 
 front of the horse, until Donald was at his wits' end 
 to know what to do. He was afraid to, dismount, 
 for fear the cows would knock him down and 
 Coyote might run away: so he began to pull and 
 jerk on the rope in hopes that he could get it off 
 that way. After some little time one leg did come 
 out, leaving the animal caught by the other, and in 
 an even worse position than before. 
 
 For more than an hour he pulled and hauled, 
 growing hotter and madder with each minute, and
 
 Principally Calves 87 
 
 at last he worked his horse up close to the calf, and 
 reaching down, managed to pull the rope off. Then 
 he turned around and made tracks for camp. 
 
 He was the last one in, and as he entered the 
 bunk house, he found every one very quiet. He sat 
 down on his bed and presently Ben, one of the boys, 
 said casually : 
 
 " Can yuh rope any, Pete? " 
 
 " Not so's you could notice it." 
 
 " Couldn't yuh rope a calf ? " 
 
 Donald grew red in the face. He guessed what 
 was coming, but he tried to bluff it out. 
 
 " No, I couldn't." 
 
 " Then who roped th' calf yuh was play in' with 
 this afternoon?" Ben inquired solemnly. "Don't 
 yuh know yuh shouldn't keep a calf on th' rope so 
 long? " he went on without moving a muscle of his 
 face. " It hurts their feelin's an' makes 'em lose 
 weight worryin' ! " 
 
 " Blamed old calf ! " Donald exclaimed crossly. 
 " I didn't want to keep it on the rope. I couldn't 
 get it off." 
 
 There was a shout of laughter at this, and for
 
 88 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 days Donald was continually hearing references to 
 his cruel treatment of dumb animals. 
 
 When the laughter had subsided, Kentucky Bill, 
 a big, raw-boned, easy-going fellow, spoke up from 
 his corner. 
 
 " Who let th' horses out this mornin' ? " he 
 inquired. 
 
 " I did," Donald answered. 
 
 " Didn't yuh know no better'n t' do a thing like 
 that ? " Kentucky went on. " Yuh'd oughter git 
 chapped for it." 
 
 " Kangaroo Court ! Kangaroo Court ! " Bronco 
 yelled. " Get busy." 
 
 Montana George was appointed judge, and 
 Donald was at once sentenced to ten licks of the 
 chaps for cruelty to the calf, and twenty for letting 
 the horses out. When asked whether he would take 
 them or fight for them, he foolishly chose to fight, 
 and after a short but brisk wrestling match, he was 
 downed by Kentucky's sheer weight. As a result, 
 he had to take half as many licks again for being 
 downed, and when it was over, he felt rather sore. 
 He had the consolation, however, of seeing every
 
 Principally Calves 89 
 
 one else get a dose of it in varying quantities, for 
 trivial or imaginary offenses. 
 
 When he came in from riding fence next after- 
 noon, Kentucky met Donald at the corral gate, just 
 as he was about to dismount. 
 
 " Hold up a minute, Pete," he said. " I've got 
 a calf down th' fence a ways t' kill fur beef, an' I 
 need a little help. Come along down, will yuh? " 
 
 Donald looked at him suspiciously. 
 
 " What do you want me to do? " he asked. 
 
 " I've got him roped around th' neck an' tied to 
 th' fence," Bill explained. " I want yuh t' hold him 
 down 'till I git th' rope on m' saddle. He's on th' 
 peck, an' if I try t' handle him alone he'll knock 
 me down." 
 
 " What's on the peck? " Donald asked curiously. 
 
 " Mad : crazy mad. He'll run after yuh if yuh 
 come near him." 
 
 " Oh; so you want him to run after me instead," 
 Donald remarked shrewdly. " No, thanks." 
 
 " No, I don't : honest Injun," Bill protested fer- 
 vently. " I jest want yuh t' hold his head down 
 while I git m' rope shifted."
 
 9 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 After a little more argument, Donald finally 
 agreed to go with him, and they started out. As 
 they approached the calf a robust yearling bull 
 he rushed at them full speed until the rope tightened 
 and he went head over heels. Then Bill took Don- 
 ald's rope, and catching him around the fore legs, 
 threw him down, and both of them sat on his head. 
 
 " NOW yuh hold him while I git m' rope on m' 
 saddle," Bill wheedled. " Aw gwan : he won't hurt 
 yuh ; he can't git up." 
 
 Foolishly, Donald did. 
 
 For a minute the calf was quiet : then, just as Bill 
 had the end of the rope in his hand and was climb- 
 ing into his saddle, the animal began to struggle 
 violently and by sheer strength rose slowly to its 
 feet, Donald clasping it tight around the neck. For 
 a few minutes they stood there, swaying back and 
 forth, the calf climbing all over Donald, and doing 
 its best to get away, and the latter holding on like 
 grim death, while Kentucky Bill sat helpless in the 
 saddle, doubled up with laughter. 
 
 At last Donald couldn't hold out any longer, and 
 letting the beast go, he fled for his horse. The
 
 Principally Calves 91 
 
 calf started in hot pursuit and Bill gave him just 
 enough rope to keep about two feet behind Donald. 
 To cap the climax, Monte became alarmed at the 
 approaching tumult, and tossing his head, started 
 for the corral. 
 
 Donald ran until he hadn't an ounce of wind left, 
 and Bill was so amused at the sight that he could 
 scarcely sit his horse. When the boy finally stopped, 
 he pulled the calf up. 
 
 " You're a nice one," Donald sputtered. " Wait 
 till I pay you up for this." 
 
 "I wisht yuh c'd see yuh'rself," Bill sputtered; 
 " it's awful funny." 
 
 Donald had no doubt it was to Bill; but he 
 didn't see it that way. Fortunately the corral was 
 close at hand, and a minute later he bolted in and 
 slammed the gate behind him. 
 
 " Lemme in," Bill said as he rode up. " I can't 
 git off m' horse." 
 
 " Not on your life," Donald said. " You can 
 open the gate or stay outside." And he took up his 
 position on the top rail of the fence to await develop- 
 ments.
 
 92 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 Finding that neither threats or cajolery could 
 induce either Donald or Bronco, who was an amused 
 spectator, to do anything, Bill rode up to the gate, 
 and waiting until he thought the calf wasn't look- 
 ing, he slipped off and threw it open. He held the 
 end of the rope in his hand, intending to fasten it 
 to the fence, inside, and then entice the calf in; but 
 before he could do so, the animal, not waiting to be 
 enticed, rushed at him full tilt, and rolling him over 
 on the ground, fell on him. The moment he got 
 up, he was knocked down again, and it was some 
 minutes before he could break away and take refuge 
 on the fence. 
 
 Donald was now thoroughly enjoying the situa- 
 tion. 
 
 " Say, Bill," he called. " Do it again, won't you? 
 It's awful funny." 
 
 " Shut up," Bill growled. " I wisht I had m' 
 six-shooter here; I'd settle his hash." 
 
 Montana came along just then, and Bill borrowed 
 his Colt, and proceeded to shoot up everything in 
 sight except the calf, to the extreme amusement of 
 the two boys, who made sarcastic comments about
 
 Principally Calves 93 
 
 his marksmanship. Finally a chance shot laid the 
 animal low, and they came down from their perches. 
 That evening Donald charged Bill with running 
 him with a calf, for which he got twenty licks with 
 the chaps, and ten more for not being able to shoot. 
 Donald himself got ten for being afraid of the calf, 
 but he decided that he was still ahead of the game.
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 
 AJOUT five o'clock the next afternoon, Alkali 
 appeared at camp with some orders from Bob. 
 While they were eating supper he remarked : 
 
 "Wai, fellows; yuh'd ought t' have some fun 
 now; Chico'll be down t'morrow." 
 
 "Who's Chico?" Bronco asked. " Yuh don't 
 mean that horse up t' th' ranch ? " 
 
 "Didn't Pete tell yuh about him?" Alkali said. 
 " Oh, that's so ; it was after he left. Why, that's 
 the name we gave that windy gazabo Claude. He 
 tried t' ride Chico a couple uh days ago an' got 
 thrown twict before he got a leg over ; so right away 
 we named him after th' horse. Claude Doo-val," 
 he went on with lingering emphasis. " Ain't that a 
 lovely name? An' he sure fits it." 
 
 Donald started off bright and early next morning 
 along the fence. So far he had ridden very little of 
 it and he made up his mind to accomplish some- 
 
 94
 
 Claude Bags Snipe 95 
 
 thing that day. Fortunately, nothing happened to 
 delay him. He ran across several bunches of cattle, 
 but he studiously avoided the temptation to try his 
 hand at roping, and when he turned back at t^o 
 o'clock, though he had spent some little time nailing 
 up wire, he figured that he must have covered at 
 least fifteen miles. 
 
 When he reached camp, the first thing that met 
 his eyes was the newly christened Chico lounging in 
 the doorway of the bunk house. 
 
 " Hello, Chico," he said, as he rode up. " When 
 did you come in ? " 
 
 " About two o'clock," Claude answered shortly. 
 " This is a nice hole, this is," he went on peevishly. 
 " I've bee4i here two hours and not a thing to eat." 
 
 " That's too bad," Donald said. " Couldn't you 
 find anything ? " 
 
 " Find anything ! I didn't look. I thought they 
 had a regular dinner : that's what Alkali said." 
 
 Donald suppressed a grin. Evidently Alkali had 
 already gotten in some of his fine work. 
 
 " Well, we do," he said, " whenever there's any- 
 one to cook it. I guess no one's in yet.'*
 
 96 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 He got the fire started, and potatoes boiling ; and 
 very soon Alkali, Bronco, and Kentucky Bill came 
 in together. At the sight of Claude, Alkali's eyes 
 brightened, and he greeted him with that mixture of 
 extreme cordiality and deference which always 
 made those who knew him suspicious. 
 
 Claude was still cross at having to wait so long 
 for his dinner, but he managed to do very well in 
 a conversational way, and quite lived up to the 
 picture Donald had given of him. Presently Mon- 
 tana George and the others came in, and they all 
 pitched in to the dinner. 
 
 "Wai, fellows," Alkali said, his mouth full of 
 t>acon. " Bagged any snipe lately ? " 
 
 Donald pricked up his ears. Was this some new 
 joke of Alkali's, he wondered. Bronco also looked 
 puzzled. 
 
 " Not lately," he said. 
 
 " I move we go out to-night," Alkali went on, 
 full of enthusiasm. " Yuh've bagged snipe, uh 
 course, Chico ? " 
 
 " Bagged snipe," Claude said blankly. " What 
 do you mean ? "
 
 Claude Bags Snipe 97 
 
 "Ain't yuh never bagged no snipe?" Alkali 
 enquired in a tone of pained surprise. " Why, 
 where yuh bin? It's one uh th' greatest sports 
 goin'." 
 
 " Oh, of course I have," Claude said, in the tone 
 of one who has momentarily forgotten a trivial 
 detail. " Often, in Wyoming ; but it's so long ago 
 I had almost forgotten it. How do you do it 
 here?" 
 
 " Same as anywhere else, I reckon," Alkali 
 rejoined. "We'll go to-night; that's what we'll 
 do." 
 
 So, as soon as supper was over, everyone saddled 
 up with remarkable alacrity and started off across 
 the prairie to the eastward. 
 
 " What's he up to ? " Donald whispered to Bronco, 
 who rode beside him. 
 
 " Search me," the other replied. " It's some joke 
 he's goin' t' play on Chico." 
 
 They rode along, laughing and fooling, for about 
 four miles, when they reached the beginning of a 
 long narrow draw. 
 
 " We'll have t' leave th' horses here," Alkali said,
 
 98 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 slipping to the ground. " An' go th' rest uh th' way 
 on foot." 
 
 They hobbled the horses, and then Alkali led 
 the way into the draw, cautioning them not to make 
 any noise for fear of frightening the snipe. The 
 draw descended abruptly and ended, some five hun- 
 dred yards from the point where they had left their 
 horses, in the steep walls of a small canyon, seventy 
 or eighty feet high. 
 
 " Here we are," Alkali said in a hoarse whisper. 
 " Yuh'd better hold th' bag, Chico." 
 
 He unrolled a bundle which he had carried under 
 his arm, and disclosed a gunny sack which might 
 have held a couple of bushels. 
 
 " What do I do with it ? " Claude asked. 
 
 " Yuh stand here 'longside uh this path," Alkali 
 said solemnly : " an' hold th' bag wide open, that 
 way ; with th' bottom jest touchin' th' ground. Then 
 we'll make a circle an' start up th' snipe; they're 
 roostin' all 'round here now. They can't see in th' 
 dark, yuh know, an' when they git frightened they 
 start an' run straight ahead, an' a lot of 'em'll run 
 right in t' th' bag. Savvy ? "
 
 Claude Bags Snipe 99 
 
 " I see," Claude said, taking the bag. " How 
 long will it take you to start them ? " 
 
 " 'Bout half an hour. Be sure yuh keep th' edge 
 uh th' bag on th' ground, an' don't let any of 'em 
 git past. Come on, fellows." 
 
 By this time it was quite dark, and once out of 
 sight of Claude, he broke into a run in the direction 
 of the horses, followed by the others. When they 
 reached them, Alkali was doubled up with laughter. 
 
 " Gee, what an easy mark ! " he gasped. " It's 
 like takin' money from a child. Beat it, fellows, 
 before he gits wise." 
 
 There was a rush for the horses and they started 
 back at a gallop, Alkali carefully leading Claude's 
 mount. Once in camp, they unsaddled in a hurry, 
 and pulling off their clothes, piled into bed as quickly 
 as they could. For more than an hour they waited 
 expectantly, but Claude did not show up. Then one 
 by one they dropped off, and by ten o'clock everyone 
 was asleep, and Claude's bed was still unoccupied. 
 
 While they were eating breakfast next morning, 
 he appeared : mussed, disheveled, and glowering, but 
 still carrying the bag. Without a word he threw
 
 ioo Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 this to the ground, and getting his plate and cup, 
 helped himself to some breakfast. 
 
 " Git any snipe ? " Alkali inquired politely. 
 
 " Snipe ! Humph ! " snorted Claude scornfully. 
 
 " You must have got out uh th' wrong side of the 
 bed," Bronco said sweetly. " Seems like you was 
 sort of grouchy." 
 
 " Oh, shut up ! " Claude burst out. " That was a 
 nice trick to play: run off with a man's horse. I 
 near froze t' death." 
 
 There was a shout of laughter, in which every one 
 joined, particularly Alkali, who was very much 
 tickled at the success of his joke, and sorry that 
 his return to the ranch that afternoon made it 
 impossible for him to have any more fun with 
 Chico. 
 
 Every morning Donald arose before the others 
 and took a fall out of Freckles. It was extremely 
 hard work, and his progress seemed very slow, but 
 at the end of a couple of weeks he found that he 
 could stick on for fifteen minutes at a time, and 
 after that it was easier; for as soon as Freckles got 
 tired, he stopped his tricks and behaved like any
 
 Claude Bags Snipe 101 
 
 normal horse. Bronco told him that the animal 
 never acted up in any other way, and that it was 
 his opinion that if he were ridden oftener, there 
 wouldn't be any trouble at all with him. 
 
 The afternoons were usually spent in practising 
 with a rope. For a time Donald tried it on the 
 horses in the corral, but Montana suddenly appeared 
 one day when he had worked them up into the usual 
 state of frenzied excitement, and told him to cut 
 it out. 
 
 " If yuh want t' practice," he said, " drive in a 
 few calves, but don't be throwin' no rope around 
 them horses. Yuh'd ought t' know better." 
 
 Donald didn't bother to run in any calves : it was 
 too much trouble; but he often came across small 
 bunches of cattle while riding fence, and he cer- 
 tainly worked them to the limit; so that at the end 
 of three weeks' time he could do fairly well at it, 
 though he was still very far from being an expert, 
 or even sure of himself. 
 
 It was now well into October, and the weather 
 was perfect. Glorious, clear days with just enough 
 snap in the air to send the blood coursing swiftly
 
 102 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 through the veins of man and horse, and make even 
 riding fence a pleasure; followed by cool, frosty 
 nights when one could comfortably use all the bed- 
 ding he could get. 
 
 Donald was enjoying the life even more than he 
 had expected. He was beginning to feel as though 
 he was really one of the boys: he was learning 
 rapidly, and the term " tenderfoot " was much less 
 often applied to him. But more than anything else, 
 he felt that he had made a place for himself; that 
 he was really doing something and being of some 
 use in the world. Of course he missed his father 
 and Sally, and all the people at home missed them 
 more than he cared to admit, even to himself. His 
 only consolations were the frequent letters which 
 came from his sister, who was still unreconciled to 
 his absence. His father did not know where he was, 
 and had made no inquiries. 
 
 One evening, late in October, he came into camp 
 pretty well tired out. He had ridden Freckles that 
 day for the first time on fence, and had found the 
 experience rather trying. Freckles went well 
 enough while in motion, but seemed to have a rooted
 
 Claude Bags Snipe 103 
 
 objection to his stopping to nail up wire. The 
 result had been a constant struggle between the two, 
 punctuated by innumerable tumbles, and Donald was 
 quite ready for bed as soon as he had finished 
 supper. 
 
 It seemed as though he had scarcely dropped off, 
 when he was awakened by some one shaking him 
 roughly. Opening his eyes he looked up into the 
 face of Bronco, who was bending over him. 
 
 " Wake up, Pete," the latter said sharply. " Get 
 a move on: the prairie's on fire an' we've got t' 
 get out."
 
 CHAPTER X 
 FIGHTING A PRAIRIE FIRE 
 
 DONALD sprang to his feet with a quick mo- 
 mentary tightening at his throat. A prairie 
 fire certainly had an unpleasant sound, and as he 
 dragged on his clothes hewondered vaguely what 
 he would have to do. 
 
 The bunk house was all astir. The men were 
 hurrying into their clothes or hunting frantically 
 for something they couldn't find, and in the uncer- 
 tain light of the single lantern he saw Alkali, cov- 
 ered with dust from hard riding, talking to Mon- 
 tana. 
 
 " Where is it? " he asked Bronco, who was swear- 
 ing at his boots for not going on easily. 
 
 " Near South Camp, 'bout thirty miles west of 
 here," Bronco answered. " Don't wear your chaps : 
 they'd likely want you t' beat out th' fire with 'em." 
 
 As the articles in question had only arrived from 
 
 Pueblo a week before, and were the pride of his 
 
 104
 
 Fighting a Prairie Fire 105 
 
 heart, Donald was very glad of the advice, and 
 made haste to stow them away in his bed. 
 
 " Here, Pete," called Montana sharply. " Yuh 
 an' Bronco git out an' load up a couple uh horses 
 with brooms an' shovels an' bags. Saddle up as 
 quick as yuh kin an' git ready t' start. For th' lord's 
 sake, Chico ; ain't yuh dressed yet ? Git a move on. 
 This ain't no picnic you're goin' to." 
 
 Claude grumbled something about not finding his 
 boots. 
 
 " They're as big as all out-doors," Montana 
 returned. " Yuh'd ought t' find 'em easy enough. 
 Git busy an' don't talk s' much." 
 
 As they hurried out of the door, Donald saw that 
 the sky to the northwest was all aglow with a deep, 
 ominous red. 
 
 " Jimminy ! that looks closer than thirty miles," 
 
 1 
 
 he said to his companion. 
 
 " I guess not," Bronco replied. " You c'n see a 
 fire pretty far at night." 
 
 Kentucky Bill had just rounded up the horses, 
 and Bronco caught two of them while Donald got 
 the brooms and other things out of the tool house.
 
 io6 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 They tied these into bundles and fastened them 
 securely on the horses' backs, and then each of them 
 took one of the combination hammers and wire 
 cutters they used in riding fence, some staples, and 
 a length of rope about thirty feet long. 
 
 "May come in useful," Bronco said; "an' you 
 always want a spare rope. Now let's saddle up." 
 
 Donald decided to ride Coyote. He was the most 
 reliable all-around horse in his mount, and he hadn't 
 been out in two days; so, roping him, he threw on 
 the saddle and adjusted it with a speed and thor- 
 oughness which surprised himself. 
 
 By this time the other men were all in the corral 
 saddling up, and as he stood by his horse waiting, 
 Donald was amused to see Claude struggling to 
 fasten a big bundle on a pack horse he had caught. 
 At last he went over to help him and tied it firmly 
 on, while Claude roped and saddled his horse; also 
 not without difficulty. 
 
 "Gee! How about th' line wagon?" Montana 
 said to Alkali, as they rode out of the gate. " I 
 clean forgot it." 
 
 " Wai, I wouldn't remember it now," the latter
 
 Fighting a Prairie Fire 107 
 
 said airily. " Bob said yuh was sure t' bring it 
 'cause he wanted th' plow; but it's a deuce of a 
 thing t' drive, an' th' plow ain't much good any- 
 how. Tell him th' harness is broke." 
 
 " All right ; I s'pose I kin," Montana said doubt- 
 fully. " Where's Chico ? " he demanded suddenly. 
 " Oh, there yuh are. You drive th' pack horses," 
 he went on a little maliciously ; " an' don't hang 
 behind or yuh'll hear from me ! " 
 
 Claude's loudly expressed objections were 
 drowned in the clatter of the horses' hoofs, as they 
 started off at a gallop, and he had to drive the pack 
 horses or leave them behind. Not quite daring to 
 do that, he bunched them up and got them going, 
 and all the way to South Camp, he trailed along 
 behind the others, giving vent to a continuous 
 stream of complaints about his hard luck and the 
 way he was imposed upon. 
 
 Donald and Bronco rode knee to knee, and the 
 former felt a sort of wild exultation as they gal- 
 loped at full speed across the silent prairie. There 
 was an indefinable fascination in that rush through 
 the darkness, with the keen air cutting his face and
 
 io8 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 stinging his blood to fire; the measured thuds of the 
 horses' hoofs in his ears; and before him that line 
 of lurid red, growing brighter and clearer with 
 every mile. 
 
 On they rode and on, and on, without a halt. 
 Presently Donald noticed the pungent odor of burn- 
 ing grass, which grew stronger as they proceeded, 
 and soon the ashes began to float down upon them ; 
 fine particles of black and gray, which covered man 
 and horse alike with dirty smudge. 
 
 They were heading a little south of the line of 
 flame, and Donald found that they were going first 
 to South Camp for fresh horses. He was very 
 glad of this, for it didn't seem to him that theirs 
 would be of much use after such hard riding. 
 
 From scraps of conversation which drifted back 
 to him from where Alkali was riding in front, he 
 gathered that the fire had started over the border in 
 New Mexico, and that the high wind had made it 
 impossible to get it under control. 
 
 Bob had happened to be at South Camp that day, 
 and at the sight of it approaching, he had gathered 
 together what men he could, and joined those of
 
 Fighting a Prairie Fire 109 
 
 the other outfits who were fighting it, at the same 
 time sending Alkali back at full speed to bring the 
 men from Poloma. 
 
 It was one o'clock when they left Poloma, and 
 they reached South Camp, a distance of thirty 
 miles, about half-past three, the horses covered with 
 foam and lather, and the men a mass of soot and 
 dirt. 
 
 There was no one about, and they rode straight 
 to the corral, where they found, as they expected, 
 the horses all within. It was a matter of no little 
 difficulty for Donald to rope and saddle one of 
 them: for the animals, terrified by the nearness of 
 the fire, were dashing wildly about the corral, snort- 
 ing and snapping at each other, and running blindly 
 into the fence in an altogether panicky condition. 
 
 At length he managed to rope one at random, and 
 get the saddle changed, and then he mounted, rather 
 worried to know whether the animal was a gentle 
 one or not. Fortunately, with the exception of a 
 good deal of nervous prancing and jumping about 
 he proved to be all right, and a moment later they 
 were off again, this time heading straight for the
 
 1 1 o Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 fire, which was about five miles due north of the 
 camp. 
 
 As they approached it from the side, Donald saw 
 that it was a long, wavering line of flame, sweeping 
 forward with what seemed a tremendous velocity, 
 and he wondered how in the world they could do 
 anything to stop it. Soon he could make out fig- 
 ures toiling along on horseback, in what looked like 
 the very centre of the flames, while others followed 
 behind on foot; and then a horseman separated him- 
 self from the others and dashed toward them. 
 Donald only knew it was Bob by his voice: his 
 face was unrecognizable. 
 
 " Where's the line wagon? " he demanded, pull- 
 ing his horse up on his haunches. 
 
 Montana shifted uneasily in his seat. Alkali had 
 edged over to the far side of the group. 
 
 " Th' a harness was broke," Montana faltered, 
 " an' we couldn't bring it." 
 
 " Harness broke ! " Bob shouted. " The deuce it 
 was! You didn't want to bring it, I reckon. I'll 
 have to fire some of you fellows before the rest of 
 you'll obey orders. Well, get busy. Bill and Pete,
 
 Fighting a Prairie Fire 1 1 1 
 
 relieve those men on the front drag, and Bronco an' 
 
 Ben take^he second one. Jack an' you what's 
 
 . . 
 
 your name? OloOQiico take brooms and follow 
 
 ' j.^- 
 behind? '^eprg^JooK^fter. the horses." 
 
 t He rj^pe4 6uft these* ' Borders H^ghot from a Win- 
 
 -. \. ,. ' . . . . J r>f 
 
 ftpjiester, and they were obeyecLhyit^i extreme prompt- 
 
 jr*T %**. '"" ' v^ 
 
 ' .-.ness. .. '' . x '^/> 
 
 /i'. ' .''Vf 
 
 Bill galloped forward to the "front drag, with 
 Donald close behind. He saw that the drag was a 
 fresh cowhide, nailed out on two 'fence posts with 
 ropes attached to the front corners. These were 
 fastened to the saddles of the men who pulled it, 
 and it was dragged along the edge of the fire as 
 close to the front as possible to prevent its spreading 
 at the side. The fire itself was perhaps ten or 
 twelve feet through, and stretched northeastward 
 in a wavering line to what seemed an appalling 
 length. The flames did not reach more than two 
 feet from the ground, but fanned by the northwest 
 gale, they burned with extraordinary fierceness and 
 heat, giving out a volume of choking smoke and 
 clouds of ashes, and were swept forward with 
 alarming swiftness.
 
 112 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 One of the men on the drag kept outside the fire, 
 while the other had to ride inside, over the burned 
 portion ; and Donald, being new to the business and 
 a little slow in reaching the spot, found himself rele- 
 gated to the latter position, and in a very few min- 
 utes he discovered that there was nothing pleasant 
 about it at all. 
 
 The man he was relieving a stranger from the 
 Turkey Tracks across the border helped him 
 fasten the drag rope to his saddle-horn and then, at 
 a signal from Bill, they started off. 
 
 The ashes rose in clouds, and the smoke eddied 
 about him, stinging his eyes and nearly choking him, 
 while the heat from the fire in front was overpower- 
 ing. It was so fierce that he had to keep his hat 
 well down over his face and his head twisted to one 
 side or the other, and even then his face and neck 
 were blistered in a few minutes. And all the time 
 he had to devote every thought and effort to his 
 horse, who was frantic with terror, and balked, 
 pitched, pulled back, and tried desperately to get 
 away from the fire. Had it not been for the drag 
 rope, he could never have kept him there, and he
 
 FIGHTING A PRAIRIE FIRE.

 
 Fighting a Prairie Fire 1 1 3 
 
 wondered afterward how he ever managed to escape 
 being thrown. 
 
 On he rode; at one minute reeling from the fumes 
 of burning grass, and the next, snatching a breath 
 of pure air, as an eddy blew the smoke away for an 
 instant. Sometimes it seemed as though he couldn't 
 keep it up for a moment longer, but he had to, for 
 there was nothing else to do but go ahead until he 
 was relieved. 
 
 Presently he realized that the sun had risen and 
 hung low in the east, looking like a great red ball 
 through the clouds of swirling smoke, and soon 
 afterwards, to his intense relief, a man rode up and 
 told him to give up the drag rope. 
 
 He untied it with trembling fingers, and as his 
 horse carried him out of the smoke in a couple of 
 jumps, he thought he had never known anything so 
 good as that first breath of fresh air. He half 
 expected to have a few minutes' rest, but Bob met 
 him and told him to give his horse to Montana and 
 follow behind the second drag to beat out any 
 flames which sprang up. 
 
 This was almost as bad as working with the drag.
 
 114 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 It was hard to walk with boots on, particularly 
 when these were new ones; the ground was hot 
 and blistered his feet, and the clouds of ashes 
 which arose were almost as unpleasant as the 
 smoke. 
 
 He kept at it for nearly an hour, and was then 
 put on the second drag, where he managed to secure 
 the outside rope. He did not mind this at all, but 
 he had not been there half an hour when Bob called 
 him off to go ahead of the fire and burn some leads. 
 
 All this time he had absolutely no idea of the size 
 of the fire ; the direction or force of it ; or how much 
 or little it was being controlled. He had simply been 
 told to do a thing, and had done it without any 
 chance of knowing whether his efforts were accom- 
 plishing anything or not. 
 
 Now, however, as he hurried forward with Bob 
 and three or four others, the latter volunteered a 
 few words of explanation. 
 
 " The wind's shifted a bit to the north," he said 
 tersely ; " and it's drivin' the fire down to a big draw 
 about six miles ahead. I'm goin' to try to corner 
 it there. I want you fellows to burn a stretch along
 
 Fighting a Prairie Fire 1 1 5 
 
 this side to keep the fire from comin' any further 
 this way, and gradually lead it up to the draw." 
 
 When they were about a mile ahead of the fire, 
 Bob started up a small blaze which, fanned by the 
 wind, was soon burning briskly. The men allowed 
 it to burn off a stretch some fifteen feet wide, and 
 then beat it out at the sides, leaving behind them a 
 long black line tapering gradually toward an irregu- 
 lar point of land which extended into the draw like a 
 peninsula, the edges of which, being of cap rock, 
 would act as a barrier to the flames, and the chances 
 were that they would burn themselves out without 
 doing any more damage. Of course, there were 
 probabilities of their jumping over the lead which 
 had been burned, but men were stationed at inter- 
 vals on the edge of this to beat out any fire starting 
 on that side. The northern end of the fire was 
 being handled in the same way, and Donald sin- 
 cerely hoped it would be successful. 
 
 The flames approached with great rapidity, and 
 were within two miles of them when Bob suddenly 
 dashed up. 
 
 " Here, Pete," he said quickly. " Get your horse
 
 li6 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 and ride around th' edge of the cap rock. See if 
 there's any gullies or places where th' fire can get 
 down into th' draw, and if there is let me know 
 right away, 'cause if it once gets into th' draw it's 
 th' devil to stop." 
 
 Donald ran back to where Montana had the 
 horses, and mounting, dashed out onto the point at 
 a gallop. Along the edge the bare rock jutted up 
 for a space of ten or fifteen feet. The sides of the 
 draw dropped straight down for four or five feet, 
 and then went on in a series of sharp descents, bare 
 of grass, and strewn thick with boulders, to the 
 bottom of the draw, eighty or ninety feet below. 
 
 He rode with his back to the fire, and had almost 
 reached the northern side of the point, when sud- 
 denly he felt a hot blast on his neck. Turning 
 quickly in his saddle, his heart leaped into his 
 throat; for the fire was within five hundred feet of 
 him, and rushing on like a whirlwind. 
 
 His way was cut off to the north, and without an 
 instant's hesitation he wheeled his horse sharply 
 around and started back the way he had come at a 
 mad gallop.
 
 Fighting a Prairie Fire 117 
 
 It was too late. Even as he turned, he saw that 
 the fire had cut him off, and was already upon the 
 point. Through the smoke he could make out sev- 
 eral of the men wildly waving their arms at him, 
 and could hear shouts from that direction, but the 
 roar of the flames drowned the words. 
 
 For an instant he stood perfectly still, his eyes 
 eagerly scanning the approaching line of fire. A 
 little to the left he noticed a point where it did not 
 seem to be quite so fierce, and he determined to try 
 and get through there. 
 
 He dug his spurs into the horse's sides and struck 
 him a heavy blow with his quirt. The animal dashed 
 forward a dozen yards and then stopped short and 
 spread out his fore feet, and no amount of beating 
 could induce him to go another step. 
 
 The poor beast was nearly mad with terror, and 
 as the fire came on with unabated speed, he gave an 
 almost human cry of fear, and taking the bit in his 
 teeth, turned and fled back to the edge of the 
 precipice. 
 
 Donald was just about as frightened as the horse, 
 but he tried to keep his head. He looked down into
 
 n8 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 the canyon, vainly hoping to see some way of escape, 
 but it seemed hopeless. There wasn't a foothold on 
 the steep, smooth sides, and a leap down would 
 almost certainly result in death or maiming : and as 
 he turned back again, his face blistered by the heat, 
 he saw that the flames were barely fifty feet away 
 and still driven on at as great a speed as ever.
 
 CHAPTER XI 
 SAVED BY A CAYUSE 
 
 SUDDENLY he felt his horse quiver under him 
 and settle down on his haunches, and thinking 
 that he was going to fall, Donald was about to shake 
 his feet loose from the stirrups, but before he could 
 do so, the animal gave a jump which took him over 
 the edge of the draw and down some six feet 
 to a narrow, insecure ledge below. He stumbled 
 and swayed to one side, and then, carried on by his 
 own momentum, he half slid, half scrambled down 
 the steep side of the canyon, at an ever-increasing 
 speed, until it seemed as though he must be dashed 
 to pieces at the bottom. 
 
 At the first leap, Donald had just time to grasp 
 the horn of his saddle with both hands and hold on 
 like grim death. He fully expected each instant to 
 be thrown over the horse's head against one of the 
 
 boulders which lay thick on every side, and when 
 
 119
 
 1 20 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 the horse finally landed at the bottom of the draw, 
 the boy was dazed and bewildered, and wondered 
 how in the world the thing had been done. 
 
 There was little time for reflection, however. The 
 horse took the bit in his teeth, and dashed up the 
 draw at a gallop, and he had gone fully half a mile 
 before Donald could pull him in and look for a way 
 to get back to the level again. After ten or fifteen 
 minutes' search, he at last discovered a gully run- 
 ning into the draw, and scrambling up this, he 
 reached the prairie. 
 
 Here he saw that the fire was no more. The last 
 remnants of it were burning feebly along the edge 
 of the draw, and here and there isolated spots were 
 smoldering; but of the fierce, devastating whirl- 
 wind which had threatened him only a short time 
 before, not a vestige was to be seen. 
 
 Turning south, he rode across the wide stretch of 
 ashes, and in twenty minutes had rejoined his 
 companions. 
 
 " Well, Pete; you're a nice one," Bronco said, as 
 he came up. " I thought you was in for a singein' 
 a while ago."
 
 Saved by a Cayuse 121 
 
 " So did I," Donald said frankly. " I reckon if 
 it hadn't been for this horse, I'd be pretty well 
 roasted by this time. He took me down the rocks 
 as nice as anything you ever saw." 
 
 "That so? Good horse t' have," commented 
 Bronco. "Well, thank the Lord that's over," he 
 went on. " Let's get back t' camp; I want a wash 
 powerful bad." 
 
 . " I should say you did," Donald laughed. 
 " You're a sight." 
 
 " I can't be more of a sight than you are," retorted 
 Bronco. " You look like a nigger." 
 
 They turned toward the camp, and on the way 
 several of the other men joined them, all looking 
 more or less like hobos, and all equally glad that the 
 fire was conquered. As they reached the corral 
 gates, they met Claude coming out and leading a 
 pack horse on whose back was the identical bundle 
 Donald had helped him with when they started that 
 morning. 
 
 "What yuh got there, Chico?" Alkali inquired. 
 
 " That's my bed, o' course," Claude answered 
 shortly.
 
 122 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 For a minute there was a dead silence, which was 
 broken by Alkali. 
 
 " Yuhr bed," he said curiously. " Where'd yuh 
 git it?" 
 
 " Brung it from Poloma : where'd you think I 
 got it?" 
 
 There was a simultaneous yell from every man in 
 the crowd. 
 
 "Hully Gee!" Alkali gasped. "Brung yuh're 
 bed t' a fire! I never heard uh such a fool trick. 
 When'd yuh think yuh was goin' t' use it ? Christ- 
 mas! I wisht I'd knowed it sooner: them 
 blankets 'ud made bully things fur beatin' out 
 fire." 
 
 When he found that he was being made fun of, 
 Claude sullenly refused to discuss the matter, but 
 the men made so many loud and derisive comments 
 that Bob at once caught on, and proceeded to give 
 Claude a laying out for wasting time and effort so 
 foolishly. 
 
 As soon as he had refreshed himself with a wash 
 and something to eat, Donald threw himself down 
 in a corner of the bunk house, and got a few hours'
 
 Saved by a Cay use 123 
 
 sleep, from which he was awakened in time for 
 supper. 
 
 Directly this was over, Bob hinted rather broadly 
 that they might as well be off; so without delay they 
 saddled up and started for Poloma about seven. 
 They did not push the horses, but rode at an easy 
 gait, and Alkali being with them, they were very 
 merry at Claude's expense. 
 
 " Yuh'll git th' use uh that bed t'night, Chico," 
 Alkali remarked, as he watched with evident enjoy- 
 ment Claude's futile efforts to keep the pack horses 
 together. " Won't that be nice ! " 
 
 "Bed's had quite a ride, ain't it?" Bronco 
 drawled. " Too bad we didn't stay a while so you 
 c'd use it." 
 
 " Oh, shut up ! " Claude exclaimed in a grieved 
 tone. " Ain't it my bed, an' ain't I got th' trouble 
 uh gettin' it around ? " 
 
 They reached Poloma about eleven o'clock, and at 
 once went to bed, and next morning they did not go 
 out at all, but slept off and on all day. 
 
 It was a wonder that Bob did not drop in on them 
 suddenly and find it out : for he had a very unpleas-
 
 124 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 ant habit of turning up when they least expected 
 him, and often when they thought him a hundred 
 miles away at a distant part of the ranch. 
 
 At such times Claude would invariably put his 
 foot in it. He seemed utterly unable to exist with- 
 out talking continually, and at supper time he usually 
 started a monologue which lasted throughout the 
 meal without cessation. It didn't matter what he 
 said, so long as he kept talking, and when Bob was 
 there, he would begin a narration of everything 
 which had happened at camp within the past few 
 weeks, while the men sat around, nervous and 
 anxious lest he let out something they had done 
 which might be against the rules. This was the 
 only time he ever got back at the fellows for their 
 teasing, and it was quite unpremeditated, for he as 
 often told on himself as on any one else. 
 
 To Donald the winter seemed to pass with great 
 rapidity, though nothing especially exciting hap- 
 pened. The routine was very much the same: he 
 inspected his windmills thoroughly and rode his line 
 of fence with more or less regularity, though that 
 portion of it from the camp southward to the Cana-
 
 Saved by a Cayuse 125 
 
 dian river received considerably more attention than 
 the stretch westward along the river, which ran 
 through very rough ground. Sometimes he varied 
 the monotony by riding south along the fence from 
 Poloma to the Canadian, which he would usually 
 reach about two o'clock; then cross into the Lazy X 
 territory and spend the night at Cottonwood Camp, 
 some two miles the other side. In the morning he 
 would ride westward along the river until noon, and 
 then strike across country to Poloma. 
 
 His roping improved constantly, until he was 
 quite an expert, and by February he could ride 
 Freckles as well as any horse in his mount. In fact 
 he preferred him to the others, on account of his 
 spirit and endurance, and the quickness with which 
 he learned the various accomplishments a cow- 
 puncher's horse should possess. 
 
 By the middle of February he had grown to be 
 a thorough cow-puncher, with little trace of the 
 tenderfoot left, and his friends in the East would 
 have had difficulty in recognizing in him the fash- 
 ionably-dressed, particular Donald Harrington. 
 Sally continued to bemoan his absence, and vowed
 
 126 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 that she was coming out to see him in the spring 
 or early summer. Since his departure his father 
 had not made a single inquiry as to where he was or 
 what he was doing. Sally wrote that she thought 
 he was too proud and stubborn to ask, but that he 
 certainly was interested, because not long before she 
 had suddenly come upon him intently studying the 
 postmark on one of Donald's letters to her. When 
 he saw her, he dropped it like a flash and walked 
 away without a word, but it seemed to the girl that 
 he had something on his mind, and there was no 
 question but that he had been much more thoughtful 
 and kind to her in the past few months than ever be- 
 fore. 
 
 " Dad really isn't a bad sort," she concluded. 
 " When he comes out of his shell and stops thinking 
 of business, it would surprise you what fun he is. I 
 think he realizes that he was too hasty with you 
 and is sorry for it ; but his pride won't let him admit 
 that he was wrong."
 
 CHAPTER XII 
 THE MISSING HORSES 
 
 TOWARD the middle of February Donald rode 
 into camp one afternoon and found Bob there. 
 After supper, while they were lounging in the bunk 
 house, he said to Montana : 
 
 " I wish you'd send Bronco and Pete over to 
 Pundia Corral to look up that bunch of paint horses 
 that ain't branded. There's about a dozen of 'em, 
 an' I want to get th' brand on 'em before we start 
 th' spring work. They were a little west of th' 
 corral yesterday, an' I don't guess they've moved 
 very far. Have th' boys locate 'em and find out 
 just how many ain't branded, and let me know." 
 
 Work of this kind was always enjoyed, since it 
 varied the monotony of the daily routine, and conse- 
 quently, Bronco and Donald started off the next 
 morning in high spirits. There was no bunk house 
 at Pundia Corral, which was used mainly in the 
 
 summer time, and consisted only of a series of wire 
 
 127
 
 128 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 and stockade corrals, with a windmill for water 
 supply. It was nearly forty miles southwest of 
 Poloma, so the two decided to spend the night at the 
 bunk house at Las Vegas a camp about thirty 
 miles west of Poloma which was at present unoc- 
 cupied ; and to go on from there in the morning. 
 
 They reached Las Vegas at noon, and as they 
 rode up they heard the monotonous bawling of a 
 calf from the corral at the side, and at once went 
 around there to see what was the matter. 
 
 " If there ain't a calf got in th' corral an' can't 
 git out," Bronco remarked, as they rounded the 
 corner of the bunk house. 
 
 " How'd it get in, I wonder," Donald said. " The 
 gate's shut." 
 
 " There's something the matter with the catch," 
 Bronco replied, as he swung it open. " They push 
 in and can't get out again. Here; get a move on; 
 beat it," he went on, as he chased the animal around 
 the corral. It didn't seem anxious to go, but he 
 gave it several good licks with his rope and it finally 
 shambled out of the gate, which Donald held open, 
 and disappeared over the prairie.
 
 The Missing Horses 129 
 
 " Good thing we came around," he said, as they 
 went in to eat dinner. " It might have starved to 
 death shut up there." 
 
 They spent the afternoon lounging about and 
 talking, and about five o'clock the same persistent 
 bawling started up from the corral. On investi- 
 gating it, they found that the identical calf had shut 
 himself up again, and this time they gave it a good 
 beating before driving it out. 
 
 Having no beds with them, there was no induce- 
 ment to sleep late, and they were up with the sun 
 and by six o'clock had eaten breakfast and were 
 ready to start. The horses had been hobbled out- 
 side, and as they went to get them Bronco stopped 
 short. 
 
 " Well, I'll be darned," he exclaimed. " If there 
 ain't that blamed calf again." 
 
 Sure enough, the persistent creature was in the 
 corral again, though what possible attraction it 
 found in the bare, trodden earth it would have been 
 hard to say. 
 
 " I tell you what," Bronco said; " let's put some 
 highlife on it. That'll keep it away."
 
 130 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 " What's highlife? " Donald asked. 
 
 " Some stuff th' horse fakirs use t' liven up old 
 horses. It burns like th' very mischief an' keeps 
 on burnin'. There's a bottle of it in th' house, 
 'cause I saw it last night." 
 
 He got the bottle and they drove the animal 
 into the milking pen, a small section of the corral 
 fenced off by cedar posts planted close together. 
 Here they roped and threw it down, and Don- 
 ald sat on its head while Bronco took off the 
 ropes. 
 
 " Wait 'till I get a stick t' prop th' gate open," 
 the latter said. " Once he starts he'll be off like a 
 shot an' we don't want him t' cut himself on th' 
 wire." 
 
 While he was gone Donald took the cork out of 
 the bottle, and sniffed the contents. It had a vile 
 smell, and he wondered how it felt. As he was 
 about to replace the cork the calf gave a sudden 
 wriggle which knocked the bottle out of his hand. 
 It struck the animal on the hind quarters, and the 
 stuff spilled out over his back and trickled down to 
 the ground.
 
 The Missing Horses 131 
 
 " Christmas ! " Donald exclaimed in dismay. 
 " Now I've done it." 
 
 He grabbed the calf tight around the neck, half 
 expecting him to have a fit on the spot, but for a 
 minute or two nothing happened. Then the crea- 
 ture gave a convulsive leap, which brought him to 
 his feet, and with a bawl of mingled pain and fright, 
 he dashed for the corral, dragging Donald along 
 with him. The latter tried to hold him for a second 
 or two, but finding the effort useless, let go. The 
 calf was off like a shot, and with a couple of jumps 
 reached the door of the milking pen, unfortunately 
 at the precise moment that Bronco Kid appeared in 
 the opening. The result was disastrous. 
 
 The calf, running head down, struck him amid- 
 ships like a cannon ball, and Bronco was thrown 
 forward over the animal's back, where he instinc- 
 tively grasped at the only thing he could get hold of 
 the tail. The calf carried him thus for a few 
 feet, and then commenced bucking, and Bronco 
 landed with a thud on the hard ground, leaving the 
 animal to continue its frantic flight out of the corral 
 and over the prairie, never to appear again.
 
 132 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 Donald watched these proceedings from the milk- 
 ing pen, so overcome with laughter that he could 
 scarcely stand, and when Bronco picked himself up, 
 he made a dash for him. 
 
 "You lobster; you did it on purpose," he sput- 
 tered, making a grab at Donald. " Wait till I take 
 it out uh your hide." 
 
 There was a momentary struggle, and they went 
 down, with Donald, weak from laughing, under- 
 neath. 
 
 " I didn't," he gasped. Honest to gosh. I 
 was smelling the stuff and he knocked the bot- 
 tle out of my hand. You did look awful funny, 
 though." 
 
 Bronco relaxed his hold, as the funny side of it 
 struck him. 
 
 " I 'spose I did," he said with a grin, as they got 
 up. " It wasn't any joke, though. Th' blamed 
 beast near knocked th' wind out o' me. Well, he 
 won't come around here again." 
 
 They saddled up in a hurry and set out for Pundia 
 Corral, which they reached about nine. There were 
 no horses to be seen about the corral, so they started
 
 The Missing Horses 133 
 
 to ride in a circle with a radius of about three miles 
 around it. 
 
 The country was very flat, and they could see a 
 long way over the prairie, but there were no signs 
 of any horses until about noon, when they came 
 upon a bunch of six or eight. 
 
 " There ain't a paint horse among 'em," Bronco 
 said, in a disappointed tone, as they surveyed them. 
 " I reckon we'll have t' try again." 
 
 This time they made a wider circuit, but with 
 equally barren results. They saw several bunches 
 of horses and among them two paint horses, but 
 they managed to get close enough to plainly distin- 
 guish the brand on their sides. 
 
 " Where do you suppose they've gone to ? " Don- 
 ald asked. 
 
 "They might have gone 'most anywhere," Bronco 
 replied. " But it don't seem likely they'd stray so 
 far when Bob saw 'em here two days ago, 'specially 
 when th' feedin's good an' these others have stuck 
 around here." 
 
 There was a puzzled frown on his face and he sat 
 still for a few minutes, thinking.
 
 134 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 " Let's go back t' th' corral," he said suddenly. 
 " Maybe we'll find somethin' there ; we've got t' go 
 there t' camp anyway." 
 
 They reached the corral in half an hour, and as 
 they rode up they saw that the gate was open. 
 
 " That's funny," Bronco said. " I didn't notice 
 it this morning, did you ? " 
 
 " I don't think we came around to this side," 
 Donald said. 
 
 " I reckon we didn't," Bronco agreed, as he 
 slipped off his horse. " Say, look at that ? " 
 
 He pointed to a spot near the gate, and leaning 
 over, Donald saw in the mud the distinct imprint 
 of a shod horse. 
 
 " Why, I didn't know any of the horses were 
 shod," he exclaimed in surprise. 
 
 " They ain't," Bronco said tersely. " It's some- 
 body else's horse." 
 
 His face had grown strangely serious, and his 
 eyes hardened. 
 
 Thrusting his bridle reins into Donald's hand, 
 he walked into the corral and looked quickly around. 
 A moment later the boy saw him suddenly bend
 
 The Missing Horses 135 
 
 over to examine something on the ground. Then 
 he straightened up and came back to the gate and 
 Donald noticed that his face was a little pale. 
 
 " Someone's been in this corral within twenty- 
 four hours," he said. " There were at least three 
 different men and one uh them rode a horse shod on 
 the front feet." 
 
 " None of the outfit's been here since Tuesday, 
 have they?" 
 
 " It wasn't none uh th' outfit," Bronco said 
 shortly. " An' whoever it was they weren't up t' 
 no good. I'll bet my saddle against a bag uh Bull 
 Durham they, know where th' paint horses are." 
 
 "What ! " Donald exclaimed. "Do you 
 mean " 
 
 " Yes, I do. They're horse thieves or I'm plumb 
 locoed."
 
 CHAPTER XIII 
 CAUGHT IN A NORTHWESTER 
 
 FOR a minute Donald sat quite still on his horse, 
 as he digested this surprising and rather 
 unpleasant information. The thought of horse 
 thieves had never entered his mind, for he had the 
 vague idea that in this enlightened age they had been 
 done away with, and to have them appear so sud- 
 denly and unexpectedly was something of a shock. 
 His train of thought was speedily interrupted by 
 Bronco : 
 
 "We ain't got any time t' lose," he said decisively. 
 " One of us has got t' get back an' put Bob wise as 
 quick as he knows how. He'll have t' get th' 
 Sheriff out, an' some uh th' fellows sworn in as 
 deputies. Th' other had better follow up these fel- 
 lows an' try an' find out which way they're goin'." 
 
 " What do you want me to do? Go or stay?" 
 Donald asked. " You know more about it than 
 
 I do." 
 
 136
 
 Caught in a Northwester 137 
 
 Bronco hesitated a moment. 
 
 " I reckon you'd better stay," he said at length. 
 " I know th' way back in th' dark an' ain't likely t* 
 get lost. You'll have t' camp here t'night, an' in th' 
 morning you'd better ride southwest t' th' river. 
 They're most likely makin' for New Mexico, an' 
 they'll cross th' Canadian within fifty miles uh 
 here. Look for their trail in th' mud an' see where 
 they come out on th' other side. If you should 
 come up with 'em don't try t' butt in, 'cause you'll 
 get all that's comin' t' you. Just follow 'em 'till you 
 see which way they're goin', an' then come back an' 
 meet us. I'll hustle the fellows all I know how." 
 
 They divided what food they had into two parts 
 and then, after a brief good-by, Bronco wheeled 
 around and galloped off across the prairie. 
 
 Donald sat watching him until he finally disap- 
 peared over a knoll in the distance, and then he 
 turned and looked around him. It wasn't a very 
 cheerful place to spend the night in, especially under 
 such conditions. There was no shelter to speak of : 
 the best he could do would be to camp in the lee of 
 one of the stockade corrals where the cedar posts
 
 138 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 might break the wind a little. But the physical 
 discomforts did not weigh on his mind half so much 
 as the other possibilities. Now that Bronco was 
 gone, it seemed very lonely, and he found himself 
 glancing suspiciously about and wondering how 
 much start the horse thieves had, and whether there 
 was any chance of their returning. 
 
 Fortunately for his peace of mind, there was little 
 time to dwell on these possibilities. The sun had 
 set and the rapidly falling darkness warned him 
 that, if he intended having any fire at all, it was high 
 time he got busy collecting fuel. So he slipped off 
 Freckles, and tying him to the corral fence, began 
 to pick up chips. In half an hour he had a supply, 
 and had discovered in one of the corrals a perfectly 
 good fence post, which he at once appropriated. A 
 few minutes later he was sitting close to a cheerful 
 blaze and getting what comfort he could out of the 
 extremely dry bread and tough jerked beef which 
 made up his supper. That done he hobbled his horse 
 and rolling himself up in his slicker, lay down by the 
 fire, and presently, despite his nervousness, fell 
 
 !-- 
 
 asleep.
 
 Caught in a Northwester 139 
 
 When he awoke he was numb with cold. The fire 
 had burned out, leaving only a few dull red coals 
 and a bitter wind was sweeping over the prairie, 
 chilling him to the bone. The scattered mesquite 
 bushes loomed up weirdly in the cold gray of 
 approaching dawn, and as he opened his eyes he 
 found himself gazing fixedly at a dark figure which 
 stood still some forty feet away, looking at him. He 
 watched it for a minute, and then it began to move 
 stealthily toward him. With trembling fingers, he 
 slid his hand down under his slicker and drawing his 
 six-shooter, silently cocked it. A moment later he 
 burst into a nervous laugh. It was Freckles, quietly 
 cropping the grass, and not a man at all and he 
 thrust the Colt back into his belt rather sheepishly, 
 but with a decided feeling of relief. 
 
 He ate what was left of the bread, and as soon as 
 it was fairly light, saddled up and turned south- 
 ward. He made no attempt to follow the trail of 
 the horse thieves, but rode for the river, intending 
 to pick it up there. 
 
 The day turned out to be a fine one, radiantly 
 clear, with a stiff breeze blowing from the north.
 
 140 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 During the first couple of hours he shot two cotton- 
 tails, which he tied to his saddle, and went on, much 
 cheered at the prospect of something to eat for 
 dinner. He had not ridden more than a couple of 
 miles when he was conscious of a vague feeling of 
 uneasiness, which he presently realized was due to 
 the unnatural stillness of everything. The wind 
 had died down completely, not a blade of grass 
 stirred, and the sun seemed actually to have grown 
 suddenly brighter. It felt as though a storm was 
 approaching, but as there wasn't a cloud in sight 
 he rode on, glancing around occasionally to see if he 
 could make out anything unusual. 
 
 It seemed to have gotten on Freckles' nerves as 
 well, for he was extremely rebellious and difficult to 
 ride. Apparently he had made up his mind that he 
 wanted to go ahead at a gallop, and if Donald pulled 
 him in, he bucked and pitched, and altogether be- 
 haved very badly. 
 
 It was after one of these struggles with the horse 
 that he glanced back over the prairie, and as he did 
 so he uttered an exclamation of amazement. 
 
 Low in the sky to the northwest a single cloud
 
 Caught in a Northwester 141 
 
 had appeared; more like a round ball of densely 
 black smoke than any cloud he had ever seen. It 
 was moving forward with extraordinary rapidity, 
 and as he watched it, it suddenly began to grow 
 larger and to throw out long arms, which spread 
 over the sky in every direction like the tentacles of a 
 gigantic octopus. 
 
 Then he realized that it must be a tornado, for it 
 was exactly like the descriptions he had read of such 
 things, and he managed to quiet Freckles long 
 enough to get his slicker unrolled and his arms 
 slipped into it. He had barely buttoned it and 
 seized his bridle-reins again when the storm was 
 upon him. 
 
 With a shriek like that of a thousand demons, 
 the wind burst over the prairie. An impenetrable 
 cloud of sand filled the air and all about him minia- 
 ture whirlwinds sent their spiral columns up into 
 the sky. Mesquite shrubs, clumps of sage brush 
 and cacti were torn up by the roots and flew past 
 him in the grasp of the furious tempest, while count- 
 less numbers of that strange shrub known as the 
 Devil's Balloon a curious ball-like mass of twigs
 
 142 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 growing from a single stalk rolled weirdly along 
 over the ground or were tossed out of sight in the 
 air. It was simply impossible to stand against it, 
 and as they flew before the storm, Donald wondered 
 where they would end. 
 
 Then the snow came: sharp, icy particles which 
 cut like a knife and seemed to penetrate to his very 
 bones. It stung Freckles to a perfect frenzy, and 
 he flew along as though trying to outrun the wind. 
 Fortunately he was too busy getting over the ground 
 to try any tricks, so Donald had no difficulty in 
 keeping his seat. 
 
 After what seemed an interminable time, but 
 which was in reality not more than twenty minutes, 
 the force of the wind began to subside. Gradually 
 it lessened, and as it did so the snow began to fall 
 more heavily and in much larger flakes. It covered 
 the ground with a blanket of white and soon began 
 to make progress so difficult that Freckles was 
 obliged to slow down to a walk. 
 
 By this time the boy had lost all sense of direc- 
 tion. Several times he headed for what he thought 
 was the southwest, but it was almost impossible to
 
 Caught in a Northwester 143 
 
 travel in any direction except straight before the 
 wind. He knew, however, that he couldn't miss 
 the Canadian unless he was turned completely 
 around, and once he struck that river he could easily 
 get his bearings. 
 
 Hour after hour they plodded through the snow. 
 He was chilled to the bone and all the spirit seemed 
 to be taken out of Freckles, who shuffled along with 
 head down, breathing heavily. At length, about 
 noon, the snow began to lessen and ten minutes later 
 the clouds rolled away, and the sun came out again.
 
 CHAPTER XIV 
 PETE FINDS THE HORSE THIEVES 
 
 DONALD looked curiously about him. The 
 white expanse extended unbroken on every 
 side and gave him absolutely no clue as to where he 
 was. But the river could not be very far away, so 
 shifting his course a little to the right, he urged 
 Freckles on again. 
 
 Within half an hour he struck the breaks and a 
 few minutes later he came to a gully, down which 
 he could see the sparkle of the river as it flowed 
 along, half a mile away, and a couple of hundred 
 feet below him. 
 
 He stopped for a few minutes to decide what to 
 do. If he made his way down to the river and tried 
 to ride along the bank, he knew he would make 
 very slow progress, on account of the roughness of 
 the ground; while if he stayed where he was, he 
 could get along much faster but he might miss the 
 
 trail of the outlaws. At length he decided that they 
 
 144
 
 Pete Finds the Horse Thieves 145 
 
 could not have crossed the river so far down as this, 
 and that it would be safe, for a time at least, to 
 keep to the level. 
 
 He rode for a couple of hours and by that time 
 he was so hungry that he simply had to stop. He 
 scrambled down to the edge of the river, and after 
 some difficulty, collected enough dead wood to cook 
 one of the rabbits; and it is saf.e to say that nothing 
 even that first meal at Channing had ever tasted 
 so good to him before. 
 
 Less than twenty minutes after this he struck the 
 trail. It was quite an unexpected piece of good 
 fortune, for it had never occurred to him that the 
 outlaws had not reached the breaks before the storm 
 set in, and when he first came upon the track in the 
 snow he thought it might have been made by a 
 bunch of the outfit's horses, but a few minutes later 
 he saw that he was mistaken. The tracks showed 
 that the horses had kept close together, and then all 
 at once he saw where one had broken away from 
 the others and turned north at a gallop. Imme- 
 diately behind this another track struck out from the 
 trail and followed the first, keeping always a little
 
 1 46 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 outside the other, and in a few minutes both 
 returned to the main body again. 
 
 " That's therrfiall right," Donald muttered, as he 
 
 ~* I 
 
 studied the tracks. " That's where one of the stolen 
 horses broke away and was brought back. I won- 
 der what delayed them? Gee! They must have 
 camped within twenty miles of the corral last night. 
 If I'd known that I shouldn't have slept as well as 
 I did." 
 
 About three miles further on this performance 
 was repeated, and this time he dismounted, and 
 examining the tracks closely, discovered that the 
 pursuing horse was shod on the fore feet. That 
 settled the question beyond a doubt, and Donald 
 begin to proceed with extreme caution, keeping a 
 sharp lookout over the surrounding country and 
 always surmounting a rise in the ground very 
 slowly and carefully, lest he should unexpectedly 
 run upon the outlaws ; a thing he was most anxious 
 to avoid. 
 
 It was a little after five when he caught sight of a 
 thin column of smoke rising straight up into the 
 clear air, a couple of miles ahead, and he at once
 
 Pete Finds the Horse Thieves 147 
 
 brought Freckles to a stand-still. As nearly as he 
 could make out, it came from the breaks a little 
 south of the course he was riding and showed that 
 the outlaws had gone into camp. Bronco's advice 
 had been not to get too close to them, but simply to 
 find out which way they were going. This, how- 
 ever, seemed too good a chance to lose, for if he 
 could only get a good look at the men and see what 
 horses they had, it would be of the greatest possible 
 advantage to the others when they came up. He 
 was determined to try it, anyway, and he rode 
 slowly on for another fifteen minutes, at the end of 
 which time he could plainly see that the fire was in 
 the breaks and must be quite close to the river 
 bank. 
 
 Suddenly as he came over a little knoll, his heart 
 leaped into his throat, for there, not half a mile 
 ahead, was the figure of a man on horseback. Like 
 a shot, Donald wheeled Freckles around, and was 
 down behind the knoll before the man turned 
 around. 
 
 Here was a new predicament. The fellow was 
 undoubtedly a lookout, placed there to give warning
 
 148 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 if any one approached, and it was consequently 
 impossible for him to get any closer on horseback. 
 The only thing to do was to dismount and proceed 
 on foot, so he rode back a little, to where he had 
 noticed the mouth of a gully leading into the 
 breaks, and turned into it. 
 
 It descended sharply for a couple of hundred feet 
 and then opened into a wide, shallow canyon, run- 
 ning at right angles. Here he found a sheltered 
 spot, and; tying Freckles to a mesquite bush, he went 
 forward on foot. 
 
 This canyon ran into another, which presently 
 crossed a third, and before he knew it, he was 
 involved in such a network of gullies, washouts, and 
 canyons that he was in great danger of losing his 
 way altogether. He had lost sight of the smoke 
 but he managed to keep his sense of the general 
 direction, and hurried on through the snow as fast 
 as he could, for the light was waning, and every 
 minute counted. 
 
 All at once he rounded a corner of rock and found 
 himself within fifty feet of the outlaws' camp. The 
 g^illy in which he stood opened into a wide canyon
 
 Pete Finds the Horse Thieves 149 
 
 the bottom of which was fifteen or twenty feet 
 below. A short distance before him was a deep 
 pocket in the side of the canyon, and this had been 
 used by the party as a temporary corral; for there 
 were fifteen or twenty horses huddled together at 
 one end, guarded by a man on horseback, while at 
 the other a roaring fire had been built, and close to 
 it two men were bending over a horse which lay on 
 the ground. 
 
 For a minute Donald could not make out what 
 they were doing. Then suddenly the horse gave a 
 bawl of pain, and struggled frantically to get away, 
 and a moment later there was wafted to his nostrils 
 the smell of burning hair and flesh. 
 
 It was quite clear now. They were branding the 
 stolen horses, and his one wish was to get near 
 enough to see the operation closely and to find out 
 just what brand they were using. It was almost 
 dark now, though everything showed against the 
 snow with more or less distinctness, and he decided 
 as soon as possible to try to crawl up. The sides of 
 the canyon were strewn with rocks and not very 
 steep, and he thought he could manage to reach a
 
 150 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 point on the edge of the pocket from which he could 
 look directly down into the camp. 
 
 While he waited impatiently, the two men let up 
 the horse they had branded, roped and threw 
 another one, and commenced operations on him. At 
 last Donald could wait no longer, and slipping from 
 behind the rock he got down on his hands and knees 
 and began to crawl slowly forward. He had to go 
 at a snail's pace, and it was fifteen minutes before 
 he reached a point where he could see into the camp. 
 Here he lay with one foot braced against a rock; 
 his head partly shielded by another, and his right 
 hand grasping a tuft of soap-weed. It was a 
 decidedly uncomfortable position, but he could get 
 a good view of what was going on. 
 
 The two men at the fire were unmistakably Mexi- 
 cans : one was tall and broad, with a bristling black 
 mustache and a livid white scar which ran from 
 under his left eye diagonally across his cheek. The 
 other was much slighter; smooth-shaven and 
 swarthy, with a dapper appearance about his dress 
 which contrasted strongly with his companion's 
 soiled and slovenly attire. The horse on the ground
 
 Pete Finds the Horse Thieves 151 
 
 was a paint horse, on whose flanks the little man 
 was applying with the skill of a practised hand the 
 brand which Donald puzzled out to be 8-E. He did 
 not do it with a regular branding iron, but used an 
 iron bar, curbed at the end like a letter J. 
 
 Donald saw all this rather more quickly than it 
 takes to tell. He also counted the horses, and found 
 that there were eleven paint horses, six bays, and a 
 sorrel. The man who was guarding them was too 
 far from the firelight to be seen distinctly, but he 
 presently called over to the others to know what 
 horse they wanted next, and Donald was surprised 
 to find that he was an American. 
 
 The next horse to be chosen was a bay, and as he 
 was thrown Donald saw that he was already marked 
 with the X L brand, and he watched curiously to see 
 how they would change that. It turned out to 
 be very simple. The small man took the curved bar, 
 heated to redness in the fire, and carefully and dex- 
 terously changed the X into an 8. Then with a 
 straight iron he altered the L into an E, added the 
 bar between them, and the thing was done. 
 
 Donald watched the operation with great interest,
 
 152 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 leaning forward a little to see better, and then sud- 
 denly, to his horror, he felt the rock beneath his 
 feet slowly slipping down. He pulled himself back 
 and made a frantic effort to turn around and grasp 
 it, but without avail. Before he could twist himself 
 about, the boulder broke loose and went crashing 
 down the side of the canyon.
 
 CHAPTER XV 
 THE PURSUIT 
 
 THE two Mexicans dropped everything and 
 wheeled suddenly around. 
 
 " Caramba ! " exclaimed one, drawing his gun. 
 " What was that, Felipe? " 
 
 " It's a rock rolled down th' hill," interrupted the 
 third man, from where he sat watching the horses. 
 " It ain't nothin' t' be scared of." 
 
 "But some one perhaps pushed it/ observed the 
 smaller Mexican, his face paling at the thought. 
 "Listen!" 
 
 There was a dead silence for a few moments and 
 Donald hardly dared breathe. His first impulse had 
 been to take to his heels, but in trying to stop the 
 rock, he had lost his balance and before he could 
 recover himself he heard these comments, and saw 
 that there was a possible chance of his not being 
 
 discovered. So he lay perfectly still, hugging the 
 
 153
 
 154 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 ground and not making a sound which could betray 
 him. 
 
 For a minute or two the Mexicans listened with 
 all their ears, while the American at the other end 
 of the pocket swore angrily at the unnecessary delay. 
 Then, not hearing anything unusual, they were 
 about to resume operations, when some snow, 
 loosened by the fall of the rock, went filtering down 
 the hillside with a soft rustling noise. That was 
 enough: they were sure now that some one was 
 watching them, and at once set out to investigate. 
 
 Fortunately, they turned first to the side of the 
 pocket in front of Donald, which was considerably 
 steeper than that at the side, and when he saw that 
 they were well started, he gave one of the big rocks 
 along the edge a shove which sent it crashing down 
 upon them, and then turned and fled. 
 
 He stumbled over the rocks, slipping in the snow, 
 and once he fell headlong, bruising his shins and 
 cutting his hand ; but he was up again in an instant, 
 and reached the shelter of the gully before his pur- 
 suers appeared in sight. He did not stop there, but 
 ran down the gully some fifty feet, and darted into
 
 The Pursuit 155 
 
 another long narrow canyon. About five hundred 
 feet further on, he stopped to get his breath and 
 listen for any sounds of pursuit. He could hear 
 nothing, but that was no sign that the outlaws were 
 not creeping noiselessly up on him through the soft 
 snow; so after a minute or two he was off again. 
 At the end of a half hour's dodging through gullies 
 and canyons, he was pretty certain that he was safe 
 from further pursuit. The greasers would not 
 know whether he was alone or not, and they could 
 scarcely take the time to follow him far, when all 
 their efforts would be needed to get themselves 
 and the horses away from such a dangerous locality 
 as quickly as possible. Donald was consequently 
 congratulating himself upon his lucky escape, when 
 the unpleasant conclusion was forced upon him that 
 he was lost. 
 
 Where he stood at the entrance to a gully, the 
 snow was untrodden, showing that somewhere in his 
 flight he had taken the wrong turning, and once off 
 the back trail, it was almost impossible to find it 
 again in the darkness. Of course it would be easy 
 enough in the daylight, but that meant a long,
 
 156 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 tedious wait ; uncomfortable as well, for he had left 
 his slicker with the horse, and was entirely without 
 protection from the cold. However, there was noth- 
 ing else to be done, so he picked out as sheltered a 
 spot as he could find, and awaited the first gleams 
 of light with what patience he possessed. 
 
 Within twenty minutes he was sleeping soundly, 
 curled up under an overhang, and when he awoke 
 about four o'clock the next morning, though chilled 
 to the bone and so cramped that he could scarcely 
 move, he felt much better for the rest. 
 
 There was light enough for him to see the trail, 
 and in ten minutes he reached the spot where he 
 had taken the wrong turn. Less than half an hour 
 later he was hugging Freckles about the neck in the 
 exuberance of his joy at having found him again. 
 The latter soon put a stop to this unusual proceed- 
 ings by biting his ear sharply, and Donald then 
 turned his attention to gathering enough wood to 
 cook his second rabbit for breakfast. 
 
 He had decided to ride back at once to meet Bob 
 and the others. He had had quite enough of follow- 
 ing the horse thieves, and anyway their trail in the
 
 The Pursuit 157 
 
 snow could be easily followed ; so by sunrise he was 
 in the saddle and headed as nearly as he could guess 
 for Pundia Corral. When he reached it, about 
 ten o'clock, he found no signs of any one's hav- 
 ing been there, and he was just wondering 
 what he should do, when he saw in the distance 
 a body of men galloping toward him over the 
 prairie. 
 
 With an exclamation of satisfaction he sprang 
 into the saddle, and dashed forward to meet 
 them. 
 
 " Well, Pete," Bob said, as he rode up. " You 
 look sort of glad to see us. How is it the horse 
 thieves didn't shoot you up?" 
 
 " They did come near it," Donald said. " But I 
 lit out before they got a chance." 
 
 " You ain't seen 'em, have you ? " Bob asked 
 incredulously. 
 
 " Yes, I have; and they've got the horses all right, 
 and branded some of them. One of 'em they 
 branded right over the X L brand." 
 
 " Good boy : you ain't bad for a greenhorn. Run 
 the brand, did they? Tell us about it."
 
 158 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 Donald at once plunged into a description of what 
 he had seen in the canyon, which was listened to 
 with greatest interest by all the men, but especially 
 by the one stranger present, whom he judged to be 
 the sheriff, though he was slight and boyish looking 
 and quite unlike what he had imagined that formi- 
 dable person would be. He had, however, eyes of a 
 hard, steely blue which seemed to take in everything 
 in sight at once, and a crisp, decisive manner which 
 left nothing to be desired. 
 
 " Tall ; black mustache, and scar on his left 
 cheek," he commented, as Donald described the 
 Mexicans. " Called the little one Felipe, you say ? 
 You're all right, Kid," he went on. " I know those 
 fellows, and we'll get 'em inside of forty-eight 
 hours. 
 
 " They're a couple of Greasers I've had my eyes 
 on for two years," he continued, turning to Bob. 
 " They ve got a sheep ranch south of Santa Rosa, 
 an' I've been pretty blamed certain they were 
 crooked, only they were too slick to get caught. I 
 reckon they must have a shack hid away in the 
 breaks some place where they run the horses they
 
 The Pursuit 159 
 
 steal. If this snow only holds out we'll catch 'em 
 with the goods, all right." 
 
 Donald dropped back to where Bronco was riding 
 to hear his story. It seems that he had reached 
 camp at two o'clock in the morning, and found that 
 Bob had left for Rita Blanca that afternoon. 
 Snatching a bite to eat, he changed horses and made 
 the ranch at seven. There had been some little 
 delay in getting hold of the sheriff, but he was 
 located at Channing about noon and they started 
 at once for Poloma Camp, where they spent the 
 night and where all the men were sworn in as 
 deputies. Leaving there at daybreak, with fresh 
 mounts, they had made very good time to Pundia 
 Corral. The party did not stop there, but kept 
 straight on to the southwest. Donald was a little 
 hazy as to the exact location of the canyon where 
 the outlaws had camped, but from his description, 
 Bob was able to locate it so accurately that they 
 struck the breaks scarcely a quarter of a mile south 
 of it, and shortly after two they dismounted, and 
 climbed down into the pocket. 
 
 As they expected, the outlaws were gone, and the
 
 1 60 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 condition of the fire showed that they must have left 
 earrly the night before; probably soon after Donald 
 had made his presence so plainly known. 
 
 The trail led out of the canyon to the prairie 
 again, and they followed it for five or six miles 
 before it dipped down into a gully toward the river. 
 Without any attempt at concealment it went straight 
 to the river, and when they had forded the broad, 
 shallow stream they had no trouble in picking it up 
 on the other side. 
 
 " This looks too easy, Bob," Jack Hardy, the 
 sheriff, remarked, as they stood in a group on the 
 bank. " I reckon they're up to some trick." 
 
 " Shouldn't wonder," Bob replied. " But I don't 
 just see what it is. The horses went this way sure 
 enough; the trail shows that." 
 
 " May be they're counting on having enough start 
 to keep ahead till the snow melts, and I guess they 
 have. They must have lit out by eight o'clock last 
 night, and it's three now. Allowing- for stops, 
 that's a good sixteen hours. This snow is melting 
 fast, and by ten o'clock to-morrow there won't be 
 a bit left."
 
 The Pursuit 161 
 
 " Well, there's nothing to do but follow it while 
 we can; is there? " Bob said. 
 
 " That's about all," Hardy agreed. " Come on, 
 boys." 
 
 The trail continued in a southerly direction, with- 
 out a deviation, and as the hours passed, it was more 
 and more difficult to follow. By five o'clock there 
 were only a few patches of snow left, and though 
 the tracks were still fairly plain in the moist ground, 
 they knew that by noon next day this would be quite 
 dried up and any further progress would be more or 
 less guesswork. 
 
 They camped that night near the cabin of a Mex- 
 ican squatter. The trail of the outlaws led straight 
 to the door of the shack, and they hoped to be able 
 to extract some information from him. Jack 
 Hardy and Bob plied him with every conceivable 
 kind of a question in the hope that he might uncon- 
 sciously give them a clue, but they might have 
 saved themselves the trouble, for they got absolutely 
 no satisfaction. 
 
 Yes: four men had passed that way very early 
 in the morning, the fellow said. Yes: they had a
 
 1 62 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 bunch of horses; how many he couldn't say, not 
 having counted them. They had bought a sheep 
 and gone on to the southward. He thought they 
 were all Mexicans, but he didn't notice. They did 
 say something about Santa Rosa, but he didn't pay 
 much attention: they were nothing to him, and he 
 didn't care where they went. 
 
 Finally the two men gave it up in despair. The 
 Greaser was either a friend of the horse thieves and 
 had been well posted, or it was simply an example of 
 the way in which all Mexicans hang together and 
 refuse to give any information which may incrim- 
 inate a compatriot. 
 
 Having had their trouble for their pains, Bob and 
 the Sheriff strolled back to their camp-fire, no wiser 
 than before.
 
 CHAPTER XVI 
 THE HUT IN THE CANYON 
 
 " A INT he a close-mouthed old Greaser?" Bob 
 XjL remarked, as they sat around the fire after 
 supper, discussing the squatter. " He knows as 
 well as I do that those horses were stolen, but you 
 couldn't get anything out of him to save your life. 
 Those fellows all hang together." 
 
 Hardy sat silent, his brows furrowed with 
 thought. 
 
 " I'll bet you any money those fellows didn't keep 
 on toward Santa Rosa very much further," he said 
 suddenly. " They're just doing it to throw us off 
 the trail, and as soon as they can they'll turn around 
 and make for that hiding place of theirs as fast as 
 they can get over the ground. Now, where's the 
 most likely locality you know of for such a place 
 to be?" 
 
 " Might be anywhere in the breaks," Bob said. 
 
 " But if I was pickin' out a place to hide stolen 
 
 163
 
 164 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 horses in, I'd locate in one of them canyons on the 
 -south side of the Canadian anywhere from twenty 
 miles this side of the border, to ten miles the other 
 side. There ain't a soul goes there twice a year, 
 and they could keep a hundred horses without any 
 one knowin' a thing about it." 
 
 " Ex-actly. That's my idea to a tee; an' I believe 
 I'll go at it blind. To-morrow morning you take 
 most of the bunch and follow the trail as well as you 
 can. Give me three: say Alkali, Bronco, an' the 
 kid, here, an' I'll cut straight back to the Canadian 
 and see if I can't run 'em down." 
 
 " Whatever you say, Jack," Bob drawled. 
 " You're running this party. Only you want to 
 remember that when they're cornered, these Greas- 
 ers'll show fight : besides, there's two men with 'em, 
 you know." 
 
 " I ain't forgot that," Hardy laughed, his eyes 
 sparkling. " I reckon we c'n manage 'em, though." 
 
 Soon after daybreak, they were off. They all 
 rode south for a couple of miles, so that the squatter 
 would not suspect anything, and then after a brief 
 consultation between Hardy and Bob, they divided
 
 The Hut in the Canyon 165 
 
 forces and Bob with five men continued to follow 
 the trail, while Hardy took Alkali, Bronco, and 
 Donald, and making a wide detour, presently headed 
 almost due east. As they flew along at a gallop, 
 they were all in high spirits. They laughed and 
 joked and discussed the possibilities of finding the 
 horse thieves much as if they were a bunch of lost 
 cattle. To Donald there was an undercurrent of 
 excitement, which only added zest to the chase. It 
 was quite a different thing from following them 
 alone and at night, and he did not feel the slightest 
 trace of nervousness. 
 
 Hardy rode slightly in advance, intently scanning 
 the ground for any signs of a trail, but it was so 
 hard that there was little chance of success. Their 
 only hope was to strike a wet, marshy spot where the 
 prints would show, and this hope was but a slight 
 one, since the outlaws would naturally avoid such 
 places. 
 
 By ten o'clock they had covered twenty-five miles. 
 They then changed their course to the north and 
 rode straight for the Canadian River. The country 
 began to grow very rough as they approached the
 
 1 66 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 breaks, and they had to slow down considerably. 
 Toward noon Hardy suddenly uttered an exclama- 
 tion, and pulling in his horse, leaped off and bent 
 over something on the ground. It was the faint 
 outline of the front part of a horse's hoof, made 
 in a tiny hollow which had held just enough mois- 
 ture from the melting snow to record it, and Hardy 
 viewed his discovery with great satisfaction. 
 
 " We're on the right track all right," he said as 
 he mounted again. " Those fellows are getting 
 careless. That wasn't such a bad guess of mine, 
 after all." 
 
 This made them all alert, and as they rode slowly 
 forward, they spread out and kept a sharp lookout 
 for any more signs. The outlaws made no more 
 slips, however, and they presently reached the 
 breaks to the south of the Canadian, without having 
 sighted another track. 
 
 " Well, we'll have to separate and make a thor- 
 ough search," Hardy said. " There's no use hunt- 
 ing for more trails, 'cause you wouldn't find 'em in 
 a month on this ground. Alkali, you an' Pete go 
 east an* see what you can find, and Bronco an' me'll
 
 The Hut in the Canybn 167 
 
 take the other direction. We'll meet here about 
 sundown, and if you find anything before that, come 
 back for us right away." 
 
 To Donald it seemed an almost hopeless task to 
 try to locate anything in the wilderness of rocks and 
 canyons which bordered the Canadian as far as the 
 eye could reach. On this side of the river the coun- 
 try was much rougher than on the other, and a 
 regiment of men might easily be hiding there with- 
 out his being any the wiser. As they rode slowly 
 along, keenly searching the canyons for signs of 
 smoke and going down into any gullies where a 
 descent was possible, he expressed this doubt to 
 Alkali. 
 
 " It's kind uh like a game uh hide an* seek," the 
 latter remarked, puffing on his cigarette. " We 
 may find 'em an' we may not ; but if anybody can, 
 it's Jack Hardy. He's death on Greasers: seems 
 like he could trail 'em like a bloodhound." 
 
 " Well, I hope he does this time," Donald said. 
 
 " So do I," Alkali returned leisurely. " But I 
 ain't goin' t' lose no sleep if he don't. Uh course 
 Bob's keen on catchin' 'em, t* make an example of
 
 1 68 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 'em; but a dozen cayuses don't make no difference 
 one way or another on this ranch." 
 
 " What will they do with them if they catch 
 them?" Donald asked presently. 
 
 " Depends on whether they show fight or not. 
 Most likely they'll put up a scrap an' somebody '11 
 go under. If they gives in, they goes t' th' nearest 
 county seat fur trial. If Jack wasn't along, that 
 formality 'ud be dispensed with an' they'd be strung 
 up t' th' first cottonwood we come to : but he's got 
 t' preserve law an' order." 
 
 He lowered his left eyelid expressively, and Don- 
 ald had grave doubts whether the Greasers would 
 ever see jail if they were caught. 
 
 Their search was quite futile, and about five they 
 turned back to the meeting place, which they reached 
 in less than an hour. Here they found Hardy and 
 Bronco waiting in a state of suppressed impatience. 
 
 " What : yuh ain't found 'em, have yuh? " Alkali 
 exclaimed, as he noticed the expression on Hardy's 
 face. 
 
 "We sure have. They've got as nice a little 
 place about eight miles west of here as you ever saw.
 
 The Hut in the Canyon 169 
 
 Tucked away in a canyon so's you could go within 
 fifty feet of it and never see it; only the darned 
 fools had a fire lit," he added contemptuously. 
 " They must think we're a lot of tenderfeet." 
 
 " Good fur yuh," Alkali said admiringly. " I 
 was tellin' th' kid yuh'd get 'em if any one c'd. 
 What are we goin' t' do now ? Creep up on 'em 
 after dark?" 
 
 " Yes : we ought to strike 'em just about the 
 time they've finished supper. We couldn't get a 
 good look at the shack, but it's built up against the 
 wall of the canyon, where there's a big overhang. 
 All they had to do was to put in a front an' they 
 done that with rocks so's you can't see it fifty feet 
 off. Don't know where they stowed the horses, 
 but we heard 'em all right." 
 
 While they were waiting for it to get dark, they 
 ate some bread and cold bacon from their saddle 
 pockets and about half-past six they started slowly 
 in the direction of the hiding place. It was quite 
 dark when they stopped within half a mile of the 
 canyon, and dismounting, they hobbled their horses 
 and proceeded cautiously on foot.
 
 i/o Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 Hardy was in advance; presently he turned into 
 a narrow gully down which they followed him 
 slowly and without a sound About three hundred 
 yards further on he made a sharp turn to the left, 
 and dropping to his hands and knees, he crawled 
 along with infinite caution, hugging the steep rocky 
 wall of the canyon. The others followed his exam- 
 ple, Donald bringing up the rear. 
 
 It was so dark that the only thing he could see 
 was the vague outline of Bronco, who was in front 
 of him, and there wasn't a sound save the faint rus- 
 tling noise they made as they crawled over the 
 ground. Presently the pitchy blackness got on his 
 nerves. It seemed to weigh down upon him and 
 smother him, and he longed for something, even 
 the flash of a pistol, to show him that he could 
 still see. 
 
 Suddenly Bronco stopped, and Donald ran against 
 his heels. A moment later he found himself gazing 
 intently at a tiny threadlike gleam of light which 
 seemed to lie upon the ground a few feet in front of 
 him, and which he finally realized must be coming 
 from under the door of the outlaws' hut.
 
 The Hut in the Canyon 171 
 
 A moment later Bronco turned noiselessly and 
 felt about for his right hand; having found it, his 
 fingers stole down to where Donald's gun hung at 
 his side, and he pulled it out of the holster and 
 thrust it into the boy's hand. Then he rose slowly 
 to his feet, and as Donald followed his example, a 
 thrill ran through him; for he felt that the crucial 
 moment had come.
 
 CHAPTER XVII 
 THE CRACK IN THE WALL 
 
 AN instant later there was a splintering crash: 
 a blinding flash of light, followed by a rush 
 of feet, and he found himself standing on the ruins 
 of the broken door, his six-shooter leveled mechan- 
 ically at the occupants of the cabin. 
 
 " Hands up ! " commanded Hardy sternly. 
 
 The answer was a single pistol shot, followed 
 closely by two others, and Donald winced as a bullet 
 thudded against the doorcasing, close to his head. 
 At the same instant there was a smashing sound of 
 breaking glass, and the lantern on the table went 
 out, leaving the room dimly lighted by the fire at 
 one end. 
 
 Donald's blood was up. He hadn't the least desire 
 to be shot down like a dog, so he commenced empty- 
 ing his six-shooter at anything which bore the 
 slightest semblance to a man. The shots all came 
 
 from one corner of the room, which lay in the 
 
 172
 
 The Crack in the Wall 173 
 
 shadow, and in a few minutes they began to grow 
 less and finally ceased altogether. 
 
 " Anybody hurt ? " Hardy inquired, as he lowered 
 his Colt and stepped forward into the room. 
 
 " Nothin' t' speak of," Alkali said. " I got a 
 bullet in m' shoulder; that's about as near as them 
 Greasers ever come : they're mighty poor shots." 
 
 Finding that this was the extent of the damage 
 done, Hardy walked over to the fire, and threw an 
 armful of sticks on it. As these blazed up, Donald 
 saw two bodies lying one across the other in the far 
 corner of the room. He could see nothing of the 
 third man, and yet he was positive that three men 
 had been sitting at the table when they burst the 
 door in. He was about to call attention to this 
 when Hardy exclaimed : 
 
 "'Where's the other man? There were three here 
 just now. Look out, fellows, he's hiding somewhere 
 around here." 
 
 A quick search, however, failed to reveal any 
 hiding place which could possibly conceal a man, 
 and rather mystified, they turned their attention to 
 the other two. Neither of them was dead. One
 
 174 P ete , Cow-Puncher 
 
 was shot through the body and was unconscious; 
 the other had a bullet in his leg, and as Hardy 
 turned him over, Donald saw that he was the smaller 
 of the two Mexicans he had seen branding the 
 horses. The face of the second man an American 
 was unknown to them all. 
 
 The wounded outlaws were lifted to a couple of 
 beds which lay against the wall, and a hasty exam- 
 ination made of their injuries. The Mexican's leg 
 was tied up and the more serious wound of the other 
 bandaged as well as they could. Then they sat 
 down to take stock of the situation. 
 
 The fact that one of the band had escaped, and 
 in such a mysterious manner, was very disquieting. 
 He might be lurking about almost anywhere, wait- 
 ing for a chance to get his revenge, and with his 
 intimate knowledge, and their ignorance, of the 
 place, that would be very easy, especially as the 
 door was in fragments, and there was nothing to 
 prevent any one from creeping up through the dark- 
 ness and picking them off as they sat illumined by 
 the firelight. 
 
 Donald found himself glancing nervously around
 
 The Crack in the Wall 175 
 
 the room, half expecting a shot to come from any 
 quarter. The roof was out of the question, any- 
 way; for it was of solid rock formed simply by the 
 overhang of the cliffs. The front and end walls 
 were also of stone, laid dry. The back wall 
 
 A sudden thrill went down his spine and he stif- 
 fened unconsciously. As he looked at the wall of 
 rough planking which formed the back of the room, 
 he noticed toward the end of it a crack which cer- 
 tainly hadn't been there a moment before. He sat 
 with his eyes riveted on it, and almost doubted his 
 senses : for it seemed to grow wider before his won- 
 dering gaze, but so slowly that there was no notice- 
 able motion. 
 
 Unconsciously his hand slid to his side; his fingers 
 closed over the butt of his Colt and he drew it noise- 
 lessly and with no appearance of haste, his eyes still 
 staring at the wall. 
 
 Jack Hardy was facing him, with his back to the 
 wall, and at that moment he happened to look up. As 
 he caught sight of Donald's face, he saw at once 
 that something was wrong. He realized, too, that 
 to follow his natural impulse and wheel suddenly
 
 176 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 to see what it was, might be his own death war- 
 rent. So he sat perfectly still, and even joined now 
 and then in the conversation which Alkali was carry- 
 ing on with Bronco, while his shoulder was being 
 bound up; but his eyes never left Donald's face. 
 Minute after minute passed, with Jack Hardy gazing 
 in strained suspense at the boy, who was totally 
 oblivious to everything except the thing he was 
 watching. 
 
 Suddenly Hardy saw his hand go up, and a streak 
 of flame spurted from the revolver, followed by 
 another and another, and the room echoed with the 
 sounds of the shots. Then a shriek of pain came 
 from behind the boards, and an instant later there 
 was the sound of a heavy fall. 
 
 At the first shot the Sheriff had thrown himself 
 forward on the floor, and almost as quickly was up 
 again and facing the wall. Directly back of where 
 he had been sitting was a crack little more than an 
 inch wide, and from behind it came the sound of 
 low moans. He dashed over to it, followed hastily 
 by Donald, and thrusting his hand into the crack, 
 easily rolled back the boards and disclosed behind
 
 The Crack in the Wall 177 
 
 them a wide irregular cavity, on the floor of which 
 lay the body of the second Mexican, his right arm 
 shattered from wrist to shoulder. Beside him a six- 
 shooter, fully loaded, glittered in the firelight. They 
 carried him back into the room, and stanching the 
 flow of blood, bandaged his arm and laid him with 
 the others. Then Hardy turned to Donald. 
 
 " Well, for a new hand at the business, you're 
 about as cool a specimen as any I ever saw," he said 
 admiringly. " There you sat as calm as a day in 
 June, while I was wondering whether the next 
 minute wouldn't be my last." 
 
 " Calm ! I'm glad you think so," Donald said, 
 mopping the sweat from his forehead. " I was 
 scared green, if you want to know the truth." 
 
 " You didn't look it," Hardy returned. " You've 
 got an awful expressive face, though, Pete. Too 
 expressive to be pleasant when you're gazing at 
 something over a fellow's shoulder." 
 
 " When you're all done throwin' bouquets," 
 Bronco drawled, "Alkali an' me 'ud like t' be put 
 wise. Looks like we'd been asleep." 
 
 " There isn't much to it," Donald explained. " I
 
 178 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 was wondering where the other man was, and look- 
 ing around the room, I noticed that crack I hadn't 
 seen before. While I was watching it began to get 
 wider a little at a time, and after about five minutes 
 I saw the end of a gun barrel shoved through it. 
 Then I fired; that's all." 
 
 " Well, we've got th' other Greaser, thank th' 
 Lord," Alkali said, " an' c'n go t' sleep without 
 wonderin' whether we'll wake up in this world 
 or th' next. Who's goin' after Bob t' morrow, 
 Jack?" 
 
 " I guess Bronco might as well," Hardy said. 
 " You'll want to rest up, and Pete might not know 
 the way." 
 
 So it was settled that Bronco would hunt up the 
 rest of the party while the others stayed to guard 
 the outlaws. He was off before sunrise, and a little 
 later Hardy and Donald sallied forth to hunt up the 
 horses. After some little search they were found in 
 a small corral fenced off at the end of a steep, nar- 
 row canyon about a quarter of a mile away from 
 the hut. There were thirty-five or forty of them, 
 showing that the Mexicans had made a very good
 
 The Crack in the Wall 179 
 
 haul, and were probably all ready to ship them to 
 some other part of the country for sale. They 
 lounged about for the better part of the day, doing 
 what they could to make their prisoners easy, though 
 Alkali said it was time and trouble wasted, since the 
 devils would stick a knife into any of them if they 
 could only get the chance. About four o'clock Bob 
 arrived, his party increased by the addition of four 
 cow-punchers from the Turkey Tracks, who had 
 also missed horses. 
 
 There was a somewhat heated discussion as to the 
 advisability of stringing the horse thieves up on the 
 spot, but Hardy protested strongly against it, and as 
 Bob was on his side, he won out. The men would 
 willingly have done the trick then and there, but 
 they knew what the results would be if they dis- 
 obeyed Bob's orders. Consequently next morning 
 the outlaws were lifted on to horses, and the entire 
 party set out for the ranch, driving the stolen 
 horses with them. They had to ride rather slowly 
 and it was dark before they reached Poloma. Hav- 
 ing spent the night there, Jack Hardy, Bob, Alkali, 
 and Montana George departed for Charming, with
 
 180 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 the prisoners, leaving the others to pursue the even 
 tenor of their ways. 
 
 Montana returned two days later, with orders 
 from Bob for all hands to report without delay to 
 the ranch. 
 
 " What's that mean ? " Donald asked Bronco, who 
 was standing near him. 
 
 " Broncs," the latter replied tersely. 
 
 " Whew ! " Donald exclaimed. " I see my 
 finish." 
 
 " You'll get on all right," Bronco said reassur- 
 ingly. " Course you'll get thrown a lot, but most 
 everybody does, an' you'll get used to it." 
 
 " Well, I hope so. I can't say I'm crazy about 
 the idea, though." 
 
 The camp was astir early next morning, for there 
 was much to be done. After breakfast Kentucky 
 Bill rounded up all the horses into the corral and 
 each man, having packed his belongings into his bed, 
 strapped the roll on a pack horse. Then they all 
 saddled up, and a few minutes later bade good-by 
 to Poloma and set out for the ranch, driving all the 
 spare horses with them.
 
 The Crack in the Wall 181 
 
 Had it not been for the prospect ahead of him, 
 Donald would have thoroughly enjoyed the ride. 
 Unfortunately he had an exaggerated idea of the 
 difficulties and dangers incident to riding the 
 unbroken horses commonly called broncs. All win- 
 ter long the men had filled his head with stories, 
 mainly of an imaginative character, of the terrible 
 things which had happened to greenhorns when 
 they first essayed this feat, until he had come to 
 look upon it as the supreme test of endurance and 
 ability by which a man would either stand or fall; 
 and the thing which troubled him most was not the 
 possibility of being hurt, so much as the fear that 
 he might not be able to make good, and so would 
 never develop into a genuine out-and-out cow- 
 puncher. However, he could only do his best, and 
 he made up his mind that he could stand as many 
 hard knocks as the next man, so he gave up worry- 
 ing and proceeded to enjoy life as it came. 
 
 Between frequent and prolonged disagreements 
 with his pack horse, Claude entertained the party 
 with detailed accounts of his prowess as a bronc 
 rider, which did credit either to a superhuman skill
 
 1 82 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 or a very vivid imagination. These were listened to 
 with polite incredulity by his companions, but their 
 comments, which would have silenced a thinner- 
 skinned individual, made no impression whatever 
 upon the vivacious Chico.
 
 CHAPTER XVIII 
 RIDING BRONCS 
 
 THEY reached Rita Blanca about nine, and 
 found that they were almost the last men in. 
 There must have been at least thirty cow-punchers 
 gathered there, and as they rode up to the bunk 
 house Donald was glad to see among them several 
 familiar faces. His old friend Bill was there; 
 Ed Foster, and several of the men he had met at 
 South Camp, so that he didn't feel quite like a 
 stranger. Alkali broke off in the middle of a funny 
 story to greet Claude enthusiastically. 
 
 " Hello, Chico," he yelled. " Coin' t' show us 
 how t' ride broncs ? " 
 
 " I wouldn't wonder if I could give you a few 
 points," Claude returned pompously. 
 
 " Uh course yuh can," Alkali said, giving Donald 
 a wink. " Yuh c'n show us how they do it in 
 Montana." 
 
 183
 
 184 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 There was little time for the exchange of pleas- 
 antries, however. Bob had already given orders to 
 have the broncs rounded up in the corral, and the 
 men were beginning to stroll leisurely in that direc- 
 tion; so Bronco and Donald hastily threw their beds 
 into the bunk house, left their saddles in the wagon 
 corral, and followed. 
 
 The greater part of the outfit had spent the pre- 
 vious week in rounding up the broncs from all over 
 the range, and some sixty or seventy of them were 
 now confined in the horse pasture, an L-shaped 
 inclosure of nearly a hundred acres, which lay to 
 the westward of the bunk house, and beyond all the 
 other corrals and buildings. 
 
 Before they could be thrown and saddled, they 
 had to be driven into the bronc pen a small inclo- 
 sure near the wagon corral and this was what was 
 now about to be done. Most of the men took up 
 their position in two lines stretching out from the 
 bronc pen to the horse pasture, through which the 
 horses would have to come. Then eight others on 
 horseback went into the pasture, and circling around 
 the broncs, proceeded to drive them out of the gate,
 
 Riding Broncs 185 
 
 while the men outside started to shout and yell and 
 wave their arms and hats in the air, until the fright- 
 ened horses were glad to escape into even the 
 cramped quarters of the small corral. 
 
 All this took time, especially since there were a 
 few who would dash back into the pasture, hug the 
 fence and refuse to budge, or make it otherwise 
 difficult to do anything with them. But by eleven 
 o'clock they had all been shifted and the entire outfit 
 took up their position on the fence of the corral to 
 criticise the horses and pick out their allotment. 
 
 Each man was supposed to have six broncs in his 
 mount, the man longest with the outfit having first 
 choice, and so on down. It was more or less of a 
 lottery, since a fine-looking horse frequently proved 
 to have a villainous temper, or else was so stupid 
 that it was impossible to teach him anything. 
 
 They went in to dinner at twelve and afterward 
 resumed the choosing, and it was two o'clock before 
 Donald's turn came. Bronco gave him advice about 
 what horses to take, and he picked out three bays; 
 a paint horse, and two sorrels, none of them remark- 
 able for their beauty, and all of them looking, to
 
 1 86 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 Donald's unpractised eye, extremely vicious. Some 
 of the men had already given names to their broncs, 
 but he decided to wait until he knew a little more 
 about his ; they would then probably be more appro- 
 priately christened. 
 
 They lounged about until the heat of the day was 
 nearly over, but at four o'clock Bob and one of the 
 straw bosses, Shorty Davis so named because of 
 his tall stature went into the pen to do the roping 
 and saddling. 
 
 As Donald shouldered his saddle and followed 
 them, it was, strange to say, with a distinct feeling 
 of relief. In a few minutes he would at least know 
 just what bronc riding amounted to, and that was 
 better than all the uncertainty and suspense he had 
 hitherto been in. Unfortunately he was one of the 
 first to be spied by Bob, who at once asked him 
 which horse he wanted to ride, and so prevented him 
 from watching some of the others and getting what 
 points he could from their performances. 
 
 He picked out one of his bays; the gentlest-look- 
 ing one, though there wasn't much choice, and he 
 was roped and thrown by the two men. As soon as
 
 Riding Broncs 187 
 
 he was down, Bob helped the boy put on the saddle 
 and tighten the cinch. 
 
 " You'd better get on while he's down," he 
 advised. " Then you're sure of your seat first off. 
 Get a good holt an' stick on as long as you can." 
 
 With the horse lying on one side, this wasn't a 
 particularly easy thing to do, but Donald got astride 
 of him with his left foot in the stirrup and a good 
 grip on the hackamore. When the men let go, the 
 horse stumbled to his feet; hesitated an instant, as 
 though bewildered, and then started across the cor- 
 ral at a dead run. Donald got his other stirrup, and 
 remembering Bronco's instructions, dug his spurs 
 into the animal's flanks, a proceeding which only 
 served to increase his speed, and an instant later he 
 crashed into the corral fence. Then he wheeled 
 half-way around, and dropped his head. 
 
 With the first jump he seemed to go ten feet into 
 the air and came down, legs rigid, with such jarring 
 force that Donald felt as though his back was 
 broken. It wasn't, however; no damage being done 
 except to loosen the hold of his spurs, and before 
 he could hang them in, the horse pitched again,
 
 1 88 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 coming down with even greater force than before. 
 This time he lost one stirrup, and with the third 
 jump he went flying off, and landed against the 
 fence, nearly putting his shoulder out of joint. 
 
 He was on his feet in a second, and had a mo- 
 ment's breathing spell, while Bob caught his horse. 
 This time he didn't throw him, but pulling the ani- 
 mal's head down, he twisted both his ears around, 
 and held them tight to prevent him from running, 
 while Donald prepared to mount. 
 
 " Loosen up," Bob advised him. " Don't sit so 
 stiff. If you give with the horse, you won't feel it 
 so much. All ready ? " 
 
 Thanks to this advice, Donald managed to stick 
 on for a couple of minutes, though the horse bucked 
 even harder than before; and when he was thrown, 
 he landed on his side and wasn't hurt at all. 
 
 By this time most of the men had saddled up and 
 were riding, and the corral was a scene of inde- 
 scribable confusion. The cowboys shouted and 
 yelled in their excitement : the horses bawled shrilly 
 with anger or fright, and dashed wildly hither and 
 thither, some with men on their backs and others
 
 Riding Broncs 189 
 
 riderless; the stirrups flapping against their sides. 
 They stumbled blindly into each other, or ran full 
 tilt against the fence, and now and then a figure 
 would shoot out of the struggling mass to land on 
 the ground with such a crash that it seemed incred- 
 ible to Donald that some of them were not seriously 
 injured. 
 
 He had just mounted for the third time, when 
 some one opened the corral gates, and the entire 
 mob with one accord dashed through them and out 
 into the open. Donald's horse followed, and in the 
 excitement of the moment he seemed to forget about 
 pitching. As he went out of the gate Donald saw 
 ahead of him a figure which was so funny that, 
 despite his own troubles, he burst into a shout of 
 laughter. 
 
 It was Claude: hatless, disheveled, and pale with 
 fright. One stirrup was dangling loose, and both 
 hands were clasping the horn of his saddle with a 
 despairing grip which looked as though he never 
 meant to let go. His horse a rawboned bay 
 was running with a curious sidelong motion, and as 
 Donald was making straight for him, a collision
 
 190 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 seemed imminent. Suddenly Claude awoke to this 
 possibility. 
 
 "Head off! head off!" he yelled frantically. 
 " Keep away! You'll knock me over." 
 
 Donald did his best to pull his horse to one side, 
 but he only succeeded in partially turning him, and 
 a moment later they came together with a crash. 
 Then Claude's bronc dropped his head and com- 
 menced to buck. 
 
 At the second jump Claude went off, and as he 
 struck the ground, a piercing shriek rent the air. 
 Donald's horse carried him some distance before he 
 could pull him in, and when he had done so he found 
 it utterly impossible to make him go back. He 
 simply turned around and around in a circle ; so the 
 boy finally slipped off, and letting him go, ran back 
 to where Claude lay on the ground. At the same 
 time, Alkali, who hadn't been able to ride on account 
 of his wounded shoulder, appeared in sight from 
 the corral, and they reached the prostrate man 
 together. 
 
 Claude lay on his face, uttering low moans and 
 cries of pain.
 
 Riding Broncs 191 
 
 " What's th' matter, Chico ? " Alkali asked, bend- 
 ing over him. " Where yuh hurt ? " 
 
 "All over," Claude gasped faintly. "I'm all 
 smashed up." 
 
 "Humph," sniffed Alkali callously. " Yuh'd 
 better pick out a partic'lar place t' be hurt in. I 
 never knowed anybody t' be hurt bad that was hurt 
 all over. See if yuh c'n git up." 
 
 But Claude absolutely refused to try. He 
 couldn't lift a ringer, and with many groans he 
 begged them to carry him into the house, where he 
 could die in peace. 
 
 " Shucks ! Yuh ain't goin' t' die any more'n I 
 am," Alkali said in disgust. " Take a holt of him, 
 Pete, an' git him up." 
 
 Donald did as he was directed, and together they 
 managed to lift Claude to his feet, to the accom- 
 paniment of many gasps and moans; where he stood 
 leaning limply against them. 
 
 "Well, yuhr legs ain't broke; that's a comfort," 
 Alkali remarked. " See if yuh can't walk into th' 
 house." 
 
 Claude protested that it was quite impossible
 
 192 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 that he could scarcely stand; but at length, after 
 much urging, he tried it with such success that they 
 finally got him into the ranch house. Here an exam- 
 ination revealed the fact that he had actually broken 
 two ribs. This was an inconvenience, but nothing 
 more, and when Bob came in, they bandaged him 
 tightly around the body, so that he was very com- 
 fortable. 
 
 This had taken so much time that when Donald 
 went out again, he found that the riding was over 
 for the day. The broncs were just being rounded 
 up in the corral, where the saddles were taken off, 
 after which they were turned loose with the gentle 
 horses in the ranch pasture. 
 
 At the supper table and afterward in the bunk 
 house, the men were full of the day's doings; and 
 stories of the various deeds of skill presently waxed 
 so extraordinary that a kangaroo court was held and 
 the worst offenders chapped for stretching the truth. 
 
 Claude passed a very happy evening. He knew 
 that he was safe from the chaps, and the account he 
 gave of the terrible behavior of his horse was cor- 
 respondingly elaborated. That animal had pitched
 
 Riding Broncs 193 
 
 at least thirty times in rapid succession and then as a 
 last resort had rolled over. Unfortunately his foot 
 was caught in the stirrup and he had not been able 
 to get up, and while he lay helpless on the ground, 
 the vicious beast had trampled on him repeatedly 
 until several bones were broken and he was a mass 
 of bruises. 
 
 Finally he was told severely to cut it short, and 
 soon afterwards all hands turned in, pretty well 
 tired out from the day's work, and with the prospect 
 of another, equally hard, before them.
 
 CHAPTER XIX 
 THE INVASION OF DALHART 
 
 NEXT morning the men went out to the cor- 
 ral directly after breakfast and rode until 
 the sun grew so hot that they had to leave off until 
 the afternoon. 
 
 As Donald staggered over to the bunk house and 
 threw himself down in the shade of the porch, he 
 was deeply thankful for this chance to rest. He 
 ached from head to foot and there was scarcely a 
 square inch on his body that couldn't show a bruise. 
 He had ridden four of his horses and each one of 
 them had seemed worse than the one before, so that 
 at the end of the three hours he was so limp and 
 exhausted that he could hardly drag one foot after 
 the other. Presently Bronco strolled up and 
 dropped down beside him. 
 
 " You look kind uh done up," he said. 
 
 " I am," Donald confessed. " Honest, Bronco : 
 194
 
 The Invasion of Dalhart 195 
 
 I couldn't get on a horse now if somebody offered 
 me a thousand dollars. I'm all in." 
 
 Brunco nodded comprehendingly. 
 
 " I know th' feelin'," he said. " I'm pretty well 
 tuckered out m'self. I got a mean bunch uh cay- 
 uses. How'd yours pan out?" 
 
 " Fair, I reckon. They all seem pretty fierce to 
 me, but they don't do any fancy stunts except one 
 darned fool that you couldn't beat sense into with a 
 club. He won't go ahead at all; just backs all the 
 time and I can't make him do anything else." 
 
 " Wait 'till we get out on th' range," Bronco 
 said. "We'll fix him. A couple of us '11 tie our 
 catch ropes t'gether, an' run him with 'em. A little 
 o' that '11 settle him, I reckon." 
 
 Donald lay flat on his back gazing up at the bril- 
 liant expanse of blue above him. A delicious lassi- 
 tude was stealing over him and he very soon 
 dropped asleep. At dinner time he felt much bet- 
 ter for the rest, and in the afternoon he took a 
 swim in the swimming pool a good-sized depres- 
 sion which lay behind the bunk house, and was fed 
 by a ditch from the creek. Consequently, by four
 
 196 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 o'clock he was in better shape than he had ever 
 imagined he could be after the hard work of the 
 morning, and was quite able to do his share of rid- 
 ing. 
 
 For two weeks this continued, and each day 
 showed an improvement on the one before. The 
 horses gradually became broken to the saddle, and 
 were very much easier to handle, while the con- 
 stant practice had given him a skill and confidence 
 which made the work comparatively easy. Of course 
 he was still thrown now and then, but it wasn't more 
 than two or three times a day, and that was nothing 
 compared to the falls he had had at first. At the end 
 of two weeks he had worked his string of six broncs 
 into pretty good shape. All, that is, except one of 
 the bays Pink Eye he called him who persisted in 
 backing, and he and Bronco had planned to break 
 this habit, once they were away from the ranch. 
 
 While the broncs were being ridden, Bob had 
 been having the chuck wagon put into shape, so that 
 there would be no delay in starting the real work of 
 the range. There was some uncertainty among the 
 men as to who would be picked out to go with it, for
 
 The Invasion of Dalhart 197 
 
 Bob didn't believe in telling them any more than he 
 had to, and Donald was left guessing with the rest 
 until the allotment of summer horses settled the 
 question. 
 
 The horses ridden through the winter were all 
 turned out to graze, with the possible exception of 
 one or two, which the men were allowed to keep, 
 provided they were in good condition, and trained 
 for some part of the round-up work; and their 
 places taken by others, which had not been used 
 for six or eight months. These horses were all 
 trained to do their part in rounding up the cattle, 
 and had to be very carefully selected. Donald's 
 mount, which Bob picked out for him, was a fair 
 sample of all the others. 
 
 There were twenty horses all told; five of which 
 were circle horses, which had great strength and en- 
 durance and were used for making long runs over 
 the range and rounding up the cattle. Then there 
 were four round-up horses, which were very quick, 
 but did not necessarily have such lasting powers. 
 They were used to hold the herd together once it 
 was rounded up in one place. The two cutting
 
 198 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 horses were the most difficult to train, and the most 
 useful animals in the mount. When a bunch of cat- 
 tle had been rounded up, and it was necessary to 
 pick out certain steers from the lot for shipment, the 
 cutting horses would go into the herd, and circling 
 around any particular animal, gradually work him 
 out from amongst the others. 
 
 Besides these, there was one rope-horse, who was 
 not afraid of the swinging of the catch rope, and 
 was trained to stop and hold a steer the moment he 
 was roped ; and two very gentle horses, which were 
 used on night guard. The six broncs brought the 
 quota up to twenty, and Donald wondered what he 
 could possibly do with them all : he found out later 
 that they were none too many. Freckles was the 
 only one of his winter horses he had kept, Bob de- 
 ciding that he would make a good circle horse. 
 
 The mount was turned over to him one after- 
 noon, and he learned then for the first time that the 
 wagon was to start next morning for the section of 
 the ranch northeast of Dalhart, to gather some cattle 
 for shipping. Bob was wagon boss, and about 
 twenty men were going, amongst whom were
 
 The Invasion of Dalhart 199 
 
 Alkali, Bronco Kid, Kentucky Bill, and several oth- 
 ers he knew and liked, besides Claude. 
 
 The latter individual had passed a very pleasant 
 two weeks. Because of his broken ribs, he had 
 managed to .escape any share in the bronc riding, 
 though this was only an evil deferred, for the 
 broncs were given him just the same, and the boys 
 were looking forward with no little interest to the 
 time when he would have to ride them. 
 
 It was barely six o'clock next morning when the 
 chuck wagon, drawn by six horses, lumbered out of 
 the corral and started down the trail for the creek. 
 In reality this wagon was made up of two, and was 
 very like the freight which had so interested Donald 
 that first day at Channing. In the first one were 
 piled the rolled-tip beds of the outfit, while the tail 
 wagon contained the supplies: pots and skillets; 
 picks, shovels, and a hundred and one odds and 
 ends which would be useful while they were out 
 on the range. 
 
 Claude had tried to get permission to ride in one 
 of the wagons, on the plea of his late injury, but 
 Bob told him that if he didn't begin to do some-
 
 2oo Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 thing pretty quick, he might as well quit the outfit, 
 so he had to ride with the rest, and inevitably be- 
 came the victim of every sort of a practical joke the 
 men led by the inventive Alkali could think of. 
 
 As they followed the wagon down the slope the 
 men were all in high spirits. The irksome duty of 
 breaking broncs was over, and while there was a 
 lot of hard work ahead, it was all in the future, and 
 they were none of them borrowing trouble on that 
 account. The weather was perfect, and since it 
 would be impossible to reach the place selected for 
 the round-up before the next morning, they had a 
 whole day before them, which was all their own, and 
 they meant to make the most of it. 
 
 They had to ride so slowly to keep with the chuck 
 wagon that Bob very soon got tired of it, and de- 
 cided to go on with one or two men and make an 
 inspection of the country and then meet the wagon 
 at the camping place. 
 
 " You'll just about reach North Sampson wind- 
 mill by sundown," he said to the cook, who was 
 driving. " I'll meet you there." Then he rode over 
 to the horsewrangler, who was having his own trou-
 
 The Invasion of Dalhart 201 
 
 bles in keeping together the three hundred odd 
 horses, which constituted the spare mounts of the 
 party. 
 
 " Say, Frank," he called out. " We're going to 
 camp at North Sampson to-night, so see that you 
 get the bunch there all right. You c'n have Bronco 
 an' Pete to help you out, but don't you take them 
 horses through Dalhart, 'cause if you do, there'll 
 be trouble. Make a circuit around to the west." 
 
 Having given these instructions, he put spurs to 
 his horse and started due north, accompanied by 
 Shorty Davis and two other men. Hardly had they 
 disappeared over the prairies, when there was a 
 general scattering of those left behind. Half a 
 dozen of the men at once decided to organize a 
 coyote hunt. There was a bounty of two dollars 
 for the scalps of these animals, and they could spend 
 a very pleasant, and possibly profitable, day in that 
 pursuit. Two of the others made up their minds to 
 ride straight for the windmill, and reaching there 
 some hours ahead of the wagon, they would have a 
 chance for a good sleep. Alkali and Ed made a bee- 
 line for Dalhart.
 
 202 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 ;< Yuh'd better mosie in there after a while," the 
 former said to Bronco. " Yuh c'n do it jest as well 
 as not. Th' horses ain't goin' t' act up, an' Bob 
 won't never know nothin' about it." 
 
 As they watched the fellows ride off in various 
 directions, the boys felt rather cross at having to 
 stay behind. They even envied Claude, who, as 
 soon as Bob was out of sight, had hitched his horse 
 to the tail wagon and was now waving a derisive 
 farewell to them as he lay comfortably stretched 
 out at full length on top of the beds. 
 
 The horsewrangler, whom they were to assist, 
 had one of the meanest jobs going. He had entire 
 charge of the spare horses; he rounded them up 
 every morning, and as soon as the men had picked 
 out their mounts and started the day's work, it was 
 his duty to drive the others, and have them at the 
 round-up by the time they were needed. He had 
 to be always on the alert, and it was very hard to 
 see the other men ride off in a body, laughing and 
 fooling, and to know that he had to spend the entire 
 day alone, engaged in the tiresome occupation of 
 driving the horses; allowing them to go slowly
 
 The Invasion of Dalhart 203 
 
 enough to graze, and yet, not let them spread out 
 and become separated, so that they could not be 
 easily gotten together again. 
 
 It is a comparatively easy matter to drive a bunch 
 of horses when they are going at a good gallop; it 
 then becomes a sort of follow-your-leader game and 
 they don't have time to stop, and graze, and stray 
 away. This, however, was strictly against the rules, 
 for the idea was for them to pick up plenty of 
 grass by the way, and to reach the place where they 
 were to be used in good condition. But, notwith- 
 standing all this, it was occasionally done. 
 
 " I don't know how yuh fellows feel about it," 
 Frank said, as they rode slowly along, " but I 
 want t' spend an hour in Dalhart th' worst way. 
 What d'yuh say t' run th' bunch in t' th' corral 
 there an' have a couple o' hours t' ourselves? " 
 
 " I'm game," Bronco said. " I reckon they'll be 
 safe enough there, an' Bob ain't likely t' find it 
 out." 
 
 Donald agreed with alacrity, for he needed a hair- 
 cut badly, and this would be a good time to get it; 
 so they bunched the horses well up, and running
 
 204 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 behind them, shouting and waving their hats, they 
 soon had them going beautifully. 
 
 Dalhart was some twenty miles to the northeast, 
 and when they stopped at a spring for a rest, about 
 noon, they had covered three-quarters of that dis- 
 tance. 
 
 After starting on again everything went well un- 
 til they were within a couple of miles of the town. 
 Frank had decided to slow the horses down at this 
 point, and bring them in at a walk. His idea was to 
 drive them into the town corral, and leave them 
 there until five o'clock, which would giye the boys 
 a good three hours, and still allow them plenty of 
 time to reach North Sampson before sundown. 
 
 Unfortunately, even the best-laid plans will some- 
 times miscarry. The bunch was going at a fairly 
 good speed and the three cow-punchers had just 
 started forward to bring them down to a walk, 
 when a copy of the Lone Star Weekly Gazette, open 
 to its fullest extent, appeared in sight, borne over 
 the prairie by the brisk westerly wind. It flapped 
 along in an erratic way, just skimming the ground, 
 and when it was within twenty feet of the leaders
 
 The Invasion of Dalhart 205 
 
 of the herd, an eddy took it straight up into the 
 air and over their heads, to the accompaniment of 
 a loud rustling noise. That was enough. In an 
 instant the whole bunch was off in a mad rush, and 
 headed directly for Dalhart.
 
 CHAPTER XX 
 THE ROUND-UP 
 
 THERE was only one street in the town, and 
 all the buildings straggled along this, on 
 one side or the other, leaving a roadway of nearly 
 a hundred and fifty feet. There was a rough, 
 wooden sidewalk, raised about six inches from the 
 ground, and in front of every store was a hitching 
 rack, to which were tied saddle horses, teams, and 
 single horses harnessed to wagons of every descrip- 
 tion, while their owners did their business within. 
 
 When the three hundred horses struck town they 
 were going at a wild gallop, and they filled the street 
 from side to side, like a torrent, and carried every- 
 thing before them. 
 
 Snap went the bridle reins of the first horse they 
 struck, and he joined the stampede. The next in- 
 stant a team attached to a heavy farm wagon fol- 
 lowed suit, and the loud rattle of the wagon only 
 
 served to increase the speed of the flying animals. 
 
 206
 
 The Round-Up 207 
 
 Then came a horse hitched to a light buggy; then 
 more saddle horses, until in two short minutes, not 
 a horse was left in the town, save for two or three 
 in the corral, and the X L bunch continued their 
 wild career over the prairie, augmented by some 
 twenty-five saddle horses, with assorted brands, and 
 ten or twelve teams attached to an equal variety of 
 wagons. 
 
 The three cow-punchers followed close behind, 
 doing their best to get around to the front and head 
 off the leaders; but they had run fully three miles 
 from town before they finally succeeded in bring- 
 ing them to a halt. Then they looked at each other 
 in dismay. 
 
 " Mama ! we've sure done it this time," Bronco 
 said, as he mopped his forehead. " They'll be 
 buzzin' around here like a swarm o' bees in about 
 five minutes." 
 
 Frank swore roundly at the horses, and then the 
 funny side of it struck them all at once, and they 
 burst into a shout of laughter. 
 
 " We'd better have an auction of second-hand 
 wagons while we've got 'em," Donald said, when he
 
 20 8 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 got his breath. " Jimminy ! look at that one; it's all 
 smashed up." 
 
 "Look out, boys; here they come," Bronco sang 
 out. " Mebbe they'll string us up for horse thieves." 
 
 Three horsemen were coming toward them at a 
 run, and a couple of minutes later Alkali, Ed, and 
 Jack Hardy, the sheriff, rode up. 
 
 " What the deuce are you fellows trying to do? " 
 the latter exclaimed. " Don't you know no better'n 
 t* bring them horses through town ? " 
 
 " Sorry, Jack," Bronco drawled. " They got 
 started two miles the other side, an' we couldn't 
 stop 'em." 
 
 " Humph ! Well, there'll be a nice bill come to t' 
 th' company for this. There ain't a whole bridle rein 
 or halter left in th' lot, an' you never seen such a 
 mad bunch as there is back in town. They certainly 
 did make a clean sweep," he added, to Alkali, his 
 lips twitching a little as he surveyed the varied as- 
 sortment of rigs. 
 
 "They sure did," Alkali answered. " Yuh'd 
 oughter arrest 'em, Jack, for running off horses." 
 
 " That's what old man Jackson wanted me t' do.
 
 The Round-Up 209 
 
 He's mad enough t' eat 'em up now; just wait 'till 
 he sees his buggy. Well, get busy, boys," he went 
 on, in a sharper tone. " Pick 'em out an' take 'em 
 back t' town." 
 
 Alkali and Ed lent them a hand, and they started 
 at once to cut out the strange horses and drive 
 them back to town. The things which were said 
 when they reached there were more forcible than 
 polite. 
 
 When it was all over they went back to their own 
 horses and headed for North Sampson. 
 
 " Yuh've sure had an' interestin' day," Alkali re- 
 marked, as they rode leisurely along. " Won't yuh 
 catch it when Bob hears about it." 
 
 " I 'spose we might as well tell him," Bronco 
 grumbled. " He'll find it out, anyway. Most likely 
 he'll dock us t' pay for them bridle reins." 
 
 " I expect he will," Alkali said. " Well, I'm glad 
 I didn't have nothin' t' do with it." 
 
 " It's about th' first time on record," Bronco re- 
 torted. " You just didn't happen t' be around." 
 
 Their expectations were fully realized. When 
 Bob heard the story, toned down as it was in the
 
 2 i o Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 telling, he was extremely angry, and at first he was 
 going to lay them all off. He finally decided, how- 
 ever, that if they paid what damages resulted, they 
 could stay. 
 
 It proved to be a rather expensive amusement: 
 for about every male in Dalhart put in a claim for 
 a new hitching strap or pair of bridle reins, to say 
 nothing of damages to wagons, and the three un- 
 fortunates were very short of cash for some months 
 to come. 
 
 Next morning they were up before the sun, and 
 about four o'clock set out to round up the cattle. 
 Bob took half the men and Shorty Davis the other, 
 and leaving camp, they went in opposite directions. 
 They rode in a circle having a circumference of 
 some eight or nine miles, and at intervals of half 
 a mile the men were dropped off and proceeded to 
 ride toward the center 'of "the circle, driving before 
 them all the cattle which they found in their sec- 
 tion; the object being to collect them all together in 
 one place, where the steers they wanted could be cut 
 out from the rest and shipped. 
 
 Donald was with Bob's gang, and about two miles
 
 The Round-Up 211 
 
 from the starting point he was dropped off, with in- 
 structions to drive everything in to the center. 
 
 He did not find this at all difficult. The coun- 
 try was very flat, and a great many trails ran along 
 in the direction he wanted to follow, so he got on 
 very well except that several times he lost his sense 
 of direction and ran over into the sections covered 
 on one side by Alkali, and on the other by Kentucky 
 Bill, and mixed his cattle up with theirs. There 
 was no harm done, however, and about seven o'clock 
 he reached the round-up grounds and found a vast 
 number of cattle thousands, it seemed to him 
 congregated on the bare, level expanse. 
 
 Most of the men were already in, and Frank was 
 holding the remuda a short distance away from the 
 cattle. The " remuda " was the name applied to 
 the bunch of spare horses belonging to the outfit, 
 and the term puzzled Donald not a little. Bob told 
 him that it came from a Spanish word which meant 
 saddle-band; but he couldn't give any explanation 
 of its use. 
 
 When the last man had come in they all dis- 
 mounted and unsaddled. Then each one took down
 
 212 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 his catch rope, and holding one end of it in his hand, 
 passed the other to his neighbor, so that they were 
 presently spread out in a long line, and as soon as 
 Frank started to drive the horses up, the ends of the 
 line slowly closed in, and in a short time they 
 formed a regular corral surrounding the horses. 
 
 At this point Bob entered the corral, rope in hand, 
 and as each man sung out the name of the horse 
 he wanted to ride, he roped him and led him to 
 where the cow-puncher stood in the ring. When 
 every man had a horse the corral at once dissolved 
 into its original elements; the men saddled up and 
 in a few minutes were ready for business. 
 
 Donald was told to help hold the herd, and he 
 didn't find this particularly hard. It consisted sim- 
 ply in riding around and around the cattle, and 
 keeping them together. Once in a while some en- 
 terprising steer would make a dash for liberty and 
 had to be pursued and brought back; but as a rule 
 they behaved very quietly, and Donald had plenty 
 of chances to see the cutting-out, which he watched 
 with great interest. 
 
 Bob and Shorty did that part of it, and he won-
 
 The Round-Up 213 
 
 dered at the ease with which they picked one steer, 
 after another out of the herd and passed them to 
 Alkali and Ed, who in turn drove them over to a 
 flat bit of ground backed by a high knoll, where two 
 more of the men prevented them from running back 
 to the main body. 
 
 This was kept up all that day and until it was so 
 dark that they could not see, and when they stopped 
 for the night there were over a thousand steers cut 
 out, and the herd had been pretty well picked over. 
 No further attention was paid to the heifers and 
 yearlings; they were allowed to go where they 
 pleased; but two men had to keep constantly riding 
 around the steers to prevent them from straying off. 
 They were relieved every three hours during the 
 night, and the next day the cattle were driven to 
 Perica, where the cattle cars were waiting on a sid- 
 ing of the Denver and Fort Worth. 
 
 Here the steers were driven into the shipping pen 
 from which a runway led up to the track. A heavy 
 railed-in, inclined plane was set up at the door of 
 the car, and the steers pushed and prodded up this 
 until it was filled. It was hot, tiresome work, and
 
 214 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 there were few enlivening features, though Ken- 
 tucky Bill did manage to afford considerable 
 amusement for a few minutes early in the morning. 
 He was on horseback and was prodding a bunch of 
 steers up the runway, when one of them suddenly 
 stopped still at the foot of the incline. Kentucky's 
 horse, having some little momentum, went straight 
 on, and rearing up, came down directly on the steer's 
 back. That animal instantly started ahead and car- 
 ried horse, man, and all into the car. Everybody 
 roared with laughter except Kentucky Bill: he 
 couldn't see anything funny about it. 
 
 Donald was very glad when it was all over, and 
 the cars had been picked up by the Denver freight. 
 One of the men went along to look after the cattle, 
 and the rest of them started for a point some twenty 
 miles to the westward to hold another round-up. 
 This time some two thousand head had to be gath- 
 ered together and sent down to the South Ranch, 
 another section of the X L outfit, which was located 
 about a hundred miles south of the Canadian and 
 run under entirely different supervision. 
 
 Bob outlined his instructions to Shorty, and, leav-
 
 The Round-Up 215 
 
 ing him in charge, went back to Rita Blanca, 
 promising to join them sometime next day. Not 
 long after his departure Bronco and Donald decided 
 that this was an excellent time for giving Pink Eye 
 a little anti-backing treatment. Alkali was easily 
 persuaded to join them, and they at once proceeded 
 to carry out the scheme. Two catch ropes were tied 
 together, and one end fastened to the horn of each 
 saddle. Donald then roped Pink Eye, and putting 
 on the saddle, mounted, with the assistance of Ed. 
 
 The moment he was in the saddle Pink Eye, with 
 customary promptness, commenced to back. In 
 about five seconds he had backed into the rope which 
 hung low, and as he did so Alkali and Bronco 
 started forward and caught him neatly with it under 
 the tail. Then they spurred their horses to a gal- 
 lop, and a more surprised animal than Pink Eye 
 would have been hard to find. For a minute he tried 
 to hang back, but there was no resisting the pres- 
 sure of the rope, and he simply had to run with the 
 others. 
 
 They kept this up for nearly a mile, and then 
 slowed down, and the moment the pressure of the
 
 2i 6 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 rope ceased Pink Eye stopped running, and dropping 
 his head, began to pitch, to the great amusement of 
 Bronco and Alkali. Though rather unprepared for 
 it, Donald stuck on for five or six minutes, and then 
 suddenly he heard a terrific crash behind him, fol- 
 lowed by a volume of exclamations, most of them 
 quite unprintable. Overcome with curiosity, he 
 turned in his saddle, and as he did so, Pink Eye gave 
 an extra special buck, and the boy landed on his neck 
 in a bunch of sage brush.
 
 CHAPTER XXI 
 ON TRAIL 
 
 AS he sprang to his feet and looked back Donald 
 couldn't imagine what had happened. The 
 two horses lay on the ground struggling to rise: 
 Alkali was just getting up, rubbing his head and 
 swearing profusely, while a little way off sat 
 Bronco, shaking with laughter. 
 
 " What the dickens are you fellows trying to 
 do ? " he asked, as he walked back. " Did you 
 strike a dog town ? " 
 
 " Oh, Mama ! " Bronco gasped, as soon as he 
 could speak. " Nothing like that. Th' drinks is on 
 us, Pete. I've done some fool tricks, but nothin' 
 as bad as this; leastwise not for some time." 
 
 "What in the world did you do?" asked the 
 mystified Donald, overcome by curiosity. 
 
 " Throwed ourselves," Bronco returned, as he 
 rose to his feet and shook off the dust. " We was 
 
 so busy watchin' yuh an' Pink Eye, we clean forgot 
 
 217
 
 2 1 8 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 we was hitched together. The minute we started t' 
 ride away from each other th' rope tightened up 
 sudden an' pulled us both down." 
 
 Donald thoroughly appreciated the joke, espe- 
 cially as it was something he was quite equal to do- 
 ing himself, but he did not laugh so much when he 
 discovered that Pink Eye and his saddle had disap- 
 peared. He was located half an hour later with the 
 other horses; roped, and the saddle put on a less 
 erratic mount. Then, having delayed over an hour, 
 the party went on again, reaching their destination 
 about seven o'clock. 
 
 The round-up which commenced next morning 
 lasted for two days, and at the end of that time they 
 had cut out the two thousand steers, and were all 
 ready to start for South Ranch. At the last minute 
 Bob decided not to go with them. He was anxious 
 to look after some repairs to the dipping vats at 
 Madlock Camp, so he turned the herd over to Shorty 
 and told him to pick out eight men to take with him. 
 Much to his satisfaction, Donald was chosen, and 
 among the others were Alkali and Bronco. 
 
 This was the sort of work the men liked. They
 
 On Trail 219 
 
 were always ready to go on trail, particularly when 
 Bob was not with them. The latter was an ex- 
 tremely valuable man to his employers. He worked 
 hard himself, and expected every one else to do the 
 same, and if any of the men didn't come up to the 
 mark, he wasn't kept long with the outfit. They 
 were, consequently, very circumspect in their be- 
 haviour when Bob was about, and when he wasn't, 
 though there was no actual shirking of duties, there 
 was a noticeable let-up in the strain and rush of ac- 
 complishing things. While Bob was directing ope- 
 rations one might have thought it the last and only 
 day in which work could be done: when he was 
 elsewhere the men apparently had more faith in 
 Providence. 
 
 With characteristic impetuosity, Bob started for 
 Madlock at five in the afternoon. The men passed 
 a pleasant evening in camp, and were not on their 
 way until seven next morning. Their progress was 
 slow. The cattle had to graze, and rarely made 
 more than twenty miles a day, so that the trip 
 was good for a week, at least; but the boys didn't 
 mind that, for it was very little trouble to look after
 
 22O Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 the herd, and they had plenty of time for all sorts 
 of amusements and horseplay. 
 
 At such times Claude shone, though not in an en- 
 viable light; the only drawback being that he was 
 so tremendously easy and swallowed anything and 
 everything which was told him with such avidity 
 that it soon ceased to be much of a pleasure to get 
 him to bite. The very first night in camp he was 
 wondering whether it would rain before they got 
 back, and complaining that he had no tarp. As it 
 had not rained at night for six weeks, his anxiety 
 seemed rather premature; but Alkali, who was all 
 ready to oblige him, offered to sell him one cheap. 
 
 " There ain't a thing th' matter with it, exceptin' 
 a little hole in th' side," he said. " Cost me twelve 
 dollars; but yuh c'n have it fur nine." 
 
 Claude looked it carefully over, and found that it 
 was all right except for a rip about an inch long. 
 Apparently he didn't realize that a tarp with a hole 
 in, no matter how small, was about as useless as 
 none at all, for he offered Alkali six dollars. The 
 latter protested that he was being robbed, so after 
 much haggling, Claude finally agreed to pay $7.50.
 
 On Trail 221 
 
 He carried it around for a month, and then, the first 
 time he used it, got almost as wet as if he hadn't had 
 any. 
 
 The second night they camped about ten miles 
 west of Rita Blanca, and Kentucky Bill rode in for 
 some supplies. He returned about eight o'clock, and 
 unsaddling, came over to the fire. 
 
 " Say, Pete," he said. " Remember that Greaser 
 we got over th' line ? " 
 
 "Which one?" Donald asked. "The little fel- 
 low?" 
 
 " Nope : th' big one yuh shot up. Well ; he's 
 broke loose. Got out o' jail two days ago, an' they 
 ain't found him yet. They reckon he's makin' fur 
 th' Mexican border." 
 
 " Well, I hope he does," Donald remarked. " If 
 he's out, I don't want him to stay around here. I'm 
 not anxious to see him again." 
 
 Though he made light of it, the news gave Don- 
 ald a more or less uneasy feeling. He hadn't for- 
 gotten the look of venomous hate the scarred Mexi- 
 can had given him that morning they departed from 
 Poloma in charge of the Sheriff, and it certainly
 
 222 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 wasn't pleasant to know that he was at large. How- 
 ever, he would scarcely stay around the ranch when 
 he knew that every effort would be made to find 
 him. No doubt he was already well on his way to 
 the border, so Donald dismissed the subject from his 
 mind, and picking up his saddle, strolled off with 
 Bronco to find his horse, and go on night guard. 
 
 Their watch was from eight to eleven, and throw- 
 ing their saddles on a couple of gentle night horses, 
 the two rode leisurely over the prairie to where the 
 herd was bunched, half a mile away. 
 
 As they approached, they saw the tiny, fluctuating 
 glow of a cigarette ahead, and presently a voice 
 spoke from out the darkness in a grieved tone. 
 
 " Takin' yuhr time, ain't yuh ? Spose yuh think 
 we don't never want nothin' t' eat." 
 
 " What's your hurry, Alkali ? " Donald said. 
 " It's only eight o'clock." 
 
 " It's three minutes past," Alkali said positively. 
 " Yuh fellows ought t' learn t' be on time. Bill get 
 back yet?" 
 
 " Yes ; he just came in." 
 
 " Bring any canned peaches ? "
 
 On Trail 223 
 
 " No; only bacon and lard." 
 
 " I knowed he wouldn't," Alkali remarked, in 
 gloomy triumph. " Son of a gun never thinks uh 
 gettin' anythin' fit t' eat. He'd ought t' be chapped. 
 When does Chico go on ? " 
 
 " Eleven," Bronco answered. " He relieves us." 
 
 " Yuh mean yuh think he will," Alkali said sig- 
 nificantly, as he gathered up his reins. "Ain't yuh 
 never seed 'em try t' wake him up in th' mornin'? 
 Well, s'long." 
 
 Left to themselves, Bronco and Donald separated, 
 and began their slow progress around and around 
 the herd, and strange to say, this proved anything 
 but monotonous to the latter. 
 
 Somehow, to-night the powerful fascination of 
 the range land gripped him like a vise. The infinite 
 expanse of bluish-black above him, strewn with the 
 countless myriads of glittering stars; the touch of 
 the cool night wind upon his face ; the low rustle of 
 it across the prairie even the deep, heavy breathing 
 of the sleeping cattle, broken now and then by a 
 restless movement each one seemed an inseparable 
 part of the whole. Presently the long, mournful
 
 224 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 howl of the coyote came from far out on the flat 
 expanse, and seemed to intensify the feeling of vast- 
 ness and freedom and isolation ; and he found him- 
 self thinking of what he had missed in all these 
 years that he had never known it, and wondering 
 what he should ever do if he were obliged to leave it. 
 Then the moon rose, and the silvery light, flood- 
 ing the plains, made a picture of such wonderful 
 beauty that the realization of it came upon him' like 
 a sharp stab of pain.
 
 CHAPTER XXII 
 
 THE MAN WITH THE SCAR 
 
 HE rode slowly on, unconscious of the passing 
 time; unconscious of everything, in fact, 
 save the scene which was spread out before him. 
 Then he met Bronco coming from the other direc- 
 tion, and they pulled up their horses. 
 
 " It sure looks beautiful to-night," the latter said 
 presently, in a low voice. " Sometimes I think I'd 
 cash in if I had to go 'way from it. I reckon it's 
 something that gets in your blood, an' you can't 
 get it out." 
 
 " I know," Donald said softly. " I've been feel- 
 ing that way all evening." 
 
 There was silence for a few moments, and then 
 Bronco went on more briskly. 
 
 " Well, it's eleven o'clock. I '11 go in an' wake up 
 Kentucky an' Chico. They ought t' be out in ten 
 minutes." 
 
 In about fifteen Kentucky appeared with the in- 
 225
 
 226 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 formation that Chico had at length been aroused, 
 and would be along presently; so, after a few min- 
 utes' desultory chatting, Donald started back to 
 camp. 
 
 He had almost reached it when he saw in the 
 moonlight a figure riding off to the westward, and 
 after an instant's hesitation, he turned and fol- 
 lowed it. 
 
 In a few minutes he saw that it was Claude, am- 
 bling along at a snail's pace in a direction which, 
 if pursued long enough, would bring him to New 
 Mexico, but which was almost opposite to where the 
 cattle were. 
 
 " Where the deuce are you going, Chico ? " he 
 asked, rather sharply, as he came up to him. 
 
 Claude gave a start, and straightened up; he had 
 been half asleep. 
 
 " Out t' th' herd, uh course," he said peevishly. 
 " D'yuh think I was goin' t' Santa Fe? " 
 
 " You're headed that way, if you keep on long 
 enough," Donald remarked, with a grin. " The 
 herd's back there," and he motioned with his arm 
 to the northeast.
 
 The Man with the Scar 227 
 
 " Well, why didn't somebody tell me ? How do 
 I know if they don't tell me? I ain't no mind- 
 reader. I can't see in the dark, neither." 
 
 Donald decided that the safest thing to do was to 
 show Claude exactly where he wanted to go, so he 
 turned back with him and rode to within sight of 
 the cattle. Then, leaving him, he went back to camp 
 at a gallop, unsaddled and tumbled into bed. 
 
 He was just dozing off when he heard a horse 
 come up to the wagon, around which they were 
 sleeping, and a minute later someone stumbled into 
 the hole dug for the cook's fire, knocking down the 
 entire row of pots and skillets, which fell with a 
 tremendous clatter. 
 
 "Who th' deuce is that?" exclaimed Shorty, 
 sitting up suddenly. Then he recognized Claude. 
 " What in tarnation are yuh doin' here, Chico ? 
 Why ain't yuh out with th' herd ? " 
 
 "Well," Claude began, "they started to walk 
 away " 
 
 " Walk away ! " Shorty shouted. " Well, why th' 
 devil didn't yuh stop 'em? What d'yuh think 
 yuh're there for? Now yuh git back there as fast
 
 228 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 as yuh c'n go, an' if them steers is scattered t'mor- 
 row yuh c'n have a horse t' ride t' town th' first shot 
 out uh th' box. Savvy ? " 
 
 To have a horse to ride to town meant dismissal. 
 Consequently Claude lost no time in hurrying back 
 to the cattle, and was seen no more that night. The 
 herd was all right in the morning, but just how 
 much of this was due to good luck and how much to 
 Kentucky Bill was hard to say. 
 
 About the most thoroughly detested man in the 
 outfit was the cook. He was a fat Dutchman called 
 Heiny, with an extremely disagreeable disposition. 
 He was a good cook, but he was sullen and surly; 
 always complaining and finding fault, so that the 
 boys hated him, and did everything they could to 
 pay him up for his meanness, and make his life mis- 
 erable. Besides cooking, he drove the wagon, and 
 there was a continual bickering between him and the 
 others about the way it was loaded. 
 
 Late the next afternoon they reached the Cana- 
 dian, and having decided to camp on the other side, 
 the party started into the breaks, with the wagon 
 in the lead. Heiny wanted to camp on the north
 
 The Man with the Scar 229 
 
 side, but he had been overruled, and was in a very 
 surly frame of mind as he sat bunched up on the 
 seat, muttering to himself. There had been a few 
 clouds that afternoon, so he wore a slicker as a pre- 
 caution. The others had not taken the trouble to 
 put on theirs, which were all piled in the trail 
 wagon, and Donald, riding close behind, noticed 
 that some of them were slipping off the end. 
 
 " Say, Heiny," he called. " The slickers are go- 
 ing to drop out." 
 
 There was no reply. Only a severe, pursed-up 
 expression of the lips; whereupon Donald repeated 
 the remark in a louder tone. 
 
 " I hear you. I hear you," snapped the cook. 
 " Led them drob." 
 
 Which they did a few minutes later, and as Don- 
 ald picked them up and tossed them back into the 
 wagon, he made some very uncomplimentary re- 
 marks about fat Dutchmen. As he did so he no- 
 ticed on one of the others lying there, Heiny's name 
 stamped on the collar. Evidently the Dutchman had 
 gotten some one else's on by mistake, and making no 
 comment, Donald rode leisurely on again.
 
 230 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 He kept his eye on the slicker, however, and was 
 pleased to see that it was gradually slipping toward 
 the end of the wagon. Presently they started down 
 the steep incline toward the river, and as they went 
 over the edge, the jolt dislodged the rolled-up 
 slicker, and it dropped down, and was caught be- 
 tween the wheel and the brake, just as Heiny put 
 the latter on. 
 
 " Slow up a minute, Heiny," he yelled. " There's 
 a slicker caught in the brake." 
 
 The cook paid no attention, but drove stolidly on. 
 In a couple of minutes more there was a sound of 
 tearing stuff, and three or four of the men yelled 
 at him to stop, which he did with apparent diffi- 
 culty. 
 
 " Yuh darn fool," Shorty said angrily, " why 
 th' deuce don't yuh stop when yuh're told? 
 Somebody's slicker's ripped to pieces in the 
 brake." 
 
 "How can I helb thad?" Heiny said crossly. 
 " I did not pag the vagon. You paged id." 
 
 " It's too bad, Heiny," Donald said sweetly. 
 " It's your slicker that's spoilt."
 
 The Man with the Scar 231 
 
 " Can'd you see I haf my sliger on? " Heiny said 
 scornfully. " You talk foolish." 
 
 " Well, this one's got your name on, all right," 
 Donald said, holding up the tattered remains. " I'll 
 bet you have somebody else's on." 
 
 With a hasty exclamation, Heiny pulled off the 
 slicker, and sure enough, there was Kentucky Bill's 
 name branded on the back. The cook broke into a 
 stream of Dutch profanity. 
 
 " Thad is nice," he sputtered. "A new sliger 
 spoiled. Id is a pud-up job. None uf you would 
 dell me." 
 
 " Pete told yuh half a dozen times," Shorty said. 
 " Only you didn't think it was yours. Serves yuh 
 good an' proper. Maybe yuh won't be so hard of 
 hearin' next time." 
 
 Heiny continued to bemoan the loss of his slicker 
 for days, and when he showed signs of forgetting 
 it the others were quick to remind him at all times 
 and occasions, and it was considered quite a case 
 of just retribution. 
 
 Having crossed the Canadian and gotten well 
 away from the ranch, the men proceeded to adopt
 
 232 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 a method of progress of which it was extremely 
 doubtful that Bob would approve. The slow riding 
 incidental to the continual grazing of the cattle be- 
 came very tiresome, so they made a change. They 
 would start off in the morning and drive them at 
 a good speed for two or three hours, and then stop 
 altogether and let them graze for a while. This 
 made it necessary for two of them to be constantly 
 on day herd duty, but the others were free to have 
 a game of cards, take a sleep in the shade of the 
 wagon, or do anything they pleased. 
 
 The second day after leaving the Canadian Alkali 
 and Donald were left to look after the herd, while 
 the others congregated around the wagon, which 
 was drawn up in the shade of some cotton- 
 woods along a small stream. The cattle kept well 
 together, for the grass was thick and plentiful, and 
 after a couple of circuits, the two stationed them- 
 selves on opposite sides of the herd. 
 
 It was very hot and Donald, growing drowsy, 
 thought he might as well take a little nap. There 
 was small chance of the cattle straying, and if they 
 did, he felt sure Freckles would awaken him. So
 
 The Man with the Scar 233 
 
 he rode over to a thick clump of mesquites, and dis- 
 mounting, tied the ends of his bridle reins together 
 and slipped his arm through, so that the slightest 
 pull on the part of the horse would arouse him. 
 Then he dropped down on the ground, and pillowing 
 his face on his arms, was asleep in a moment. 
 
 Trained to stand when the reins were dragging, 
 Freckles was like a statue. For a while he stood 
 with head up and eyes roaming over the prairie, but 
 he never stirred. Then the heat seemed to affect 
 him also; his head dropped slowly; his eyes closed, 
 and presently he too was dozing. 
 
 Half an hour passed and the noonday stillness 
 was unbroken. Then all at once Freckles raised 
 his head and pricked up his ears. A faint rustling 
 came from the bushes back of Donald, and the horse 
 looked curiously in that direction. Another min- 
 ute went by and then the leaves were softly parted 
 and a face looked out. A dark, swarthy face it was ; 
 unkempt ; unshaven ; and across the left cheek ran a 
 jagged, livid scar. As the eyes fell upon the sleep- 
 ing boy, a tigerish gleam leaped into them : a slow, 
 cruel smile curved the edges of the thin lips and a
 
 234 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 moment later the man slipped out of the bushes and 
 crouched on the ground. His right arm was but a 
 stump, swathed in dirty, bloody bandages. In his 
 left hand a knife, long, pointed, and keen of edge 
 glittered in the sun.
 
 CHAPTER XXIII 
 FRECKLES INTERVENES 
 
 FOR an instant he hesitated, balancing the knife 
 in his hand and darting quick glances over 
 the prairie. No one was in sight. Alkali, half a 
 mile away, was hidden by the feeding cattle ; the 
 wagon lay behind a knoll to the southward. 
 
 The man's fingers gripped the handle convul- 
 sively; a lithe, noiseless spring, and he stood over 
 the unconscious boy with the blade poised in mid- 
 air. Then the unexpected happened. 
 
 Like a flash Freckles reared to his full height ; his 
 fore feet shot out straight before him, rigid as bars 
 of iron. A dull, sickening thud; the flash of the 
 falling knife; and with a wild scream of agony, that 
 which was once a man tottered and fell back into 
 the bushes. 
 
 Donald leaped to his feet dazed and bewildered, 
 
 the echoes of that horrid shriek ringing in his ears. 
 
 235
 
 236 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 , 
 
 At first he could not understand what had hap- 
 pened. A glance at the cattle showed that they were 
 all right. Freckles stood perfectly still; only his nos- 
 trils quivered a little. Then, happening to look 
 down at the horse's hoofs, he noticed for the first 
 time the splotches of fresh blood on them. An in- 
 stant later the knife caught his eye, and, whirling 
 around, he saw and understood. 
 
 Rapidly as this had taken place, the men were 
 already over the knoll and coming toward him at a 
 run. Shorty was the first to reach the spot. 
 
 " What in blazes was that My Gawd ! " he 
 
 broke off, as he saw the body. " Who done it ? " 
 
 Donald pointed silently to Freckles. He could 
 not have said a word to save his life. For an instant 
 the suddenness of it all, and the realization of what 
 he had so narrowly escaped, completely unmanned 
 him. 
 
 " It's th' Greaser," Shorty exclaimed, bending 
 over the body. " Leastwise, I reckon it must be, 
 'cause uh his arm. There ain't much left of his 
 face. Was yuh asleep, Pete ? " 
 
 With an effort Donald recovered himself.
 
 Freckles Intervenes 237 
 
 " Yes : I was lying there on my face, with my arm 
 through the bridle. There was a yank on the reins 
 that nearly pulled my wrist off, and that awful 
 ( scream. When I jumped up my back was toward 
 it, and for a minute I couldn't think what had hap- 
 pened. Then I turned around." 
 
 He was leaning against Freckles, and as he spoke 
 his arm slid around the horse's neck and he pressed 
 his face against the velvety nose. 
 
 "Ain't it wonderful fur him t' have th' sense t' 
 do it ? " Shorty said, eyeing Freckles admiringly. 
 " Yuh've sure got a good thing in that horse, Pete. 
 Well, boys," he went on, more briskly. " We might 
 as well get busy. No use in th' buzzards gettin' him, 
 if he is a Greaser." 
 
 They brought picks and shovels from the wagon, 
 and in an hour not a sign of the tragedy remained, 
 save a few dark spots on the sand. 
 
 As for Donald, he registered a vow, which, 
 though silent, was none the less sincere, that as long 
 as they lived, he would never be separated from the 
 horse who had saved his life. 
 
 Two days later they crossed the northern boun-
 
 238 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 dary of South Ranch, where they were met by an 
 outfit from the headquarters at Bovina. The cattle 
 were counted and turned over to them, and after 
 exchanging various news items and bits of interest- 
 ing information, Shorty gathered his men together 
 and they started back. 
 
 Forty-eight hours later they rode into Madlock, 
 where they found that the dipping pens were in 
 good shape, and that Bob was awaiting their re- 
 turn with his customary impatience, which was 
 greatly increased by the fact that they arrived too 
 late to begin work that day. 
 
 Dipping was one of the features of ranch life of 
 which Donald had never heard until he came to 
 Texas. It was done as a preventive and cure for 
 an infectious skin disease, from which the cattle 
 suffered severely. Each head on the ranch had to 
 be dipped at least once a year, and there were dip- 
 ping vats at several of the camps for that purpose. 
 The one at Madlock was a swimming vat, as dis- 
 tinguished from the variety in which the cattle were 
 lowered in a cage into the solution. It consisted of 
 a sheet-iron tank about thirty feet long, six feet
 
 Freckles Intervenes 239 
 
 wide, and some five feet deep. Dividing it at the 
 middle was a gate which could be lowered to pre- 
 vent the animals from getting out before they had 
 been well immersed. The entrance to the vat was 
 a long, narrow runway leading from the crowding 
 pen, and the tank at that end dropped sharply to its 
 full depth. The cattle were driven down this in- 
 cline to the tank, which was filled with a mixture 
 of lye, carbolic, sulphur, and several other ingre- 
 dients, and when the animals had been well sat- 
 urated the central gate was raised and they 
 scrambled up an easy incline into the draining pen, 
 and thence to one of the big corrals. 
 
 The work was naturally more than ordinarily 
 nasty; the men stationed around the vat were soon 
 covered from head to foot with the solution, which 
 spoiled everything it came in contact with, and was 
 extremely painful when splashed into the eyes. 
 Consequently, it was not popular; but it had to be 
 done, and it was their habit to get through with the 
 unpleasant duty as rapidly as possible. Besides, 
 even Donald, new as he was to the business, could 
 see infinite possibilities of enlivening the routine.
 
 240 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 In the morning about fifteen hundred cattle of all 
 ages and conditions were rounded up. They drove 
 as many as they could into the big corral, and the 
 others were left to await their turn outside, guarded 
 by two men. At one end of the corral was fenced 
 off an inclosure some forty feet square, known 
 as the crowding pen. This was jammed full of 
 cattle, which were then sent down the runway to 
 the tank as they were needed. 
 
 Alkali, Bronco, Donald, and Claude were detailed 
 to the crowding pen, and as they took their prodding 
 sticks and went in, the latter showed a decided incli- 
 nation to hug the fence, and seemed much averse to 
 trusting himself among the cattle. However, a 
 little observation showed that the others came to no 
 harm, and he presently ventured forth and was soon 
 engaged in prodding the animals down the runway 
 and yelling as loud as the rest. 
 
 Feeling sure that Alkali would soon be up to 
 some joke or other, Donald kept his eyes open, and 
 in a short time his expectations were realized. 
 
 Claude carefully avoided the steers, but was very 
 courageous with the calves, poking them unmerci-
 
 Freckles Intervenes 241 
 
 fully with his pole, and often following them into 
 the runway to get a last jab. On one of these oc- 
 casions Alkali waited until he was well into it and 
 then quickly, and with much dexterity, manoeuvered 
 a big steer into the opening, and with several sharp 
 prods from his pole, sent him down the narrow in- 
 cline, bellowing with rage. When Claude turned 
 and saw him close at his heels, he let out a yell of 
 surprise and fright, and fled down the runway. 
 Half a dozen jumps took him to the edge, with the 
 steer thundering behind at full speed; an instant's 
 hesitation on the brink, and a moment later he was 
 floundering up to his chin in the filthy mess, sput- 
 tering and swearing. Luckily, he had the sense to 
 scramble over to one side, for a few seconds later 
 the steer followed, with a tremendous splash, which 
 completed Claude's ducking, besides thoroughly 
 wetting the two men who operated the gate. Work 
 was momentarily suspended to watch Claude's 
 struggles; and when he finally climbed up the fence 
 at the side of the tank, looking like a drowned 
 rat, facetious comments were freely made by all 
 hands.
 
 242 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 Swearing volubly arid uttering all kinds of threats 
 against the perpetrators of such an outrage, Claude 
 made his way out of the corral and disappeared in 
 the direction of the wagon. When he reappeared, 
 nearly an hour later, he had made himself perfectly 
 secure from further molestation. 
 
 With remarkable forethought, he had arrayed 
 himself in garments abstracted from the kit of 
 nearly every man in camp. He had on one man's 
 boots ; another's chaps ; the hat belonging to a third, 
 and so on; and as every one always wore the oldest 
 duds he could get hold of while dipping, he could 
 not have chosen a better method of protecting him- 
 self. For the remainder of the day he was handled 
 with great care, like something very precious and 
 fragile : they wouldn't let him go near the vat, and 
 even protected him from any rude contact with the 
 cattle; and many were the threats of what would 
 happen if he damaged any of the clothes fie had on. 
 It was the first time Claude had ever gotten back 
 at them, and even Alkali admitted that there might 
 be hope for him yet. 
 When ajl the cattle in the corral ha4 been dipped
 
 A MOMENT LATER HE WAS FLOUNDERING UP TO HIS CHIN.
 
 Freckles Intervenes 243 
 
 the others were driven in and the operation re- 
 peated. Then the entire herd were taken some ten 
 miles to the northward before letting them go, and 
 another lot rounded up. 
 
 The work continued for some two weeks, and 
 long before the end of it the men were heartily sick 
 of the whole business. They consequently hailed 
 with joy the news that a dance was to be held at 
 Rita Blanca schoolhouse, and every one began to 
 furbish up his belongings, to make as good a show- 
 ing as possible. The schoolhouse was a low frame 
 building standing at one end of a group of three or 
 four squatters' huts, about five miles southeast of 
 the ranch house. Social gatherings of all kinds were 
 held there because the location was central and con- 
 venient, and the planed floor was very good for 
 dancing. The dances, which were gotten up every 
 once in a while, were attended by all the cowboys 
 within a radius of twenty miles, and by many of 
 the daughters of the squatters, who were dotted all 
 over the ranch ; as well as any other girls who hap- 
 pened to be in the neighborhood and cared to 
 go. Bronco said they always had a good time, so
 
 244 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 Donald looked forward with much pleasure to the 
 event. 
 
 On the afternoon of that day Bob was away and, 
 consequently, the men knocked off work rather early 
 and began to array themselves in their best. Those 
 who had store clothes put them on, and those who 
 had not made the best of their well-worn chaps and 
 ordinary things, brushed and cleaned up for the 
 occasion, adorning themselves with the gaudiest 
 handkerchiefs they possessed. 
 
 Personally Donald preferred the looks of the lat- 
 ter, for some of the men in store clothes were any- 
 thing but picturesque, since many of the suits were 
 cut in styles which might have been prevalent in the 
 dark ages; and one and all fitted abominably, 
 Claude appeared in the rig he wore when Donald 
 first saw him, and created considerable comment. 
 
 They saddled up about five and started off for the 
 schoolhouse, which they reached before nine o'clock, 
 and leaving their horses in the corral, they trooped 
 inside in a body. 
 
 As they went in the door Bronco uttered a low 
 exclamation.
 
 Freckles Intervenes 245 
 
 " Whew ! " he murmured to Donald. " There's 
 them Ackerman boys. Now yuh want t' look out 
 for squalls." 
 
 "Why, what's the matter with them?" Donald 
 asked. 
 
 " Oh, they're dead sore on us X L fellows, most 
 'specially Ed. They got a place down th' creek a 
 bit fenced in and grow alfalfa an' such stuff there. 
 They're all th' time fightin' 'cause they say we pull 
 down th' fences an' let th' cattle in. They're th' 
 kind that 'ud a little bit rather shoot yuh in th' back 
 than not, if they thought they wouldn't get caught. 
 See yuhr friends, Ed ? " 
 
 " I see 'em," Ed said carelessly. " Reckon they 
 won't try any tricks t'night, though. We're too 
 many for 'em." 
 
 The two men in question, sandy-haired and hard- 
 featured specimens, did not seem to view the advent 
 of the outfit with pleasure, but aside from an unbe- 
 coming scowl which they assumed, and an elaborate 
 affectation of not seeing the X L fellows, they did 
 nothing. 
 
 There were eight or ten girls in the room, all of
 
 246 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 them daughters of Mexican squatters. Many of 
 them were pretty, and those who were not didn't 
 seem to know it; while they were all graceful and 
 danced very well to the music of a couple of man- 
 dolins and a guitar. When they got a chance the 
 thirty-odd men danced with them, and at other times 
 with each other, which they seemed to enjoy almost 
 as much ; and Donald was very much amused at the 
 funny pictures some of them made as they went 
 hopping around the room, clutching each other 
 about the waist, and apparently trying to see which 
 could raise their feet the highest and come down 
 with the loudest stamp. Claude looked particularly 
 grotesque as he flew around the room in the grasp 
 of a huge, rawboned fellow from Channing, whose 
 hand, looking about the size of a large ham, clutched 
 his partner's coat in a bunch up around his shoul- 
 ders, his sole purpose in life seeming to be to out- 
 distance every one on the floor, and incidentally to 
 maim as many as he could by stamping on their 
 feet. 
 
 The evening wore away very pleasantly. Donald 
 danced several times, but found it much more enter-
 
 Freckles Intervenes 247 
 
 taining to look on, and a little after twelve he took 
 up his stand to one side of the door, where there 
 was a shallow recess, like an open closet, to hang 
 coats and hats in. 
 
 He had not been there long when some one just 
 outside shouted for Ed Foster. The latter got up, 
 and strolling leisurely across the room, disappeared. 
 A moment later there was a dull thud, followed by 
 the sound of some one falling, and as Donald 
 reached the door he stumbled over Ed's body, which 
 lay across the threshold, and saw two figures a short 
 way off running toward the corral. 
 
 He was furious, and without stopping to think, 
 he drew his six-shooter and sent a couple of shots 
 after the flying men. They had no effect on them, 
 but in half a minute the men came pouring out of 
 the schoolhouse like a swarm of angry bees, and a 
 perfect fusilade commenced. 
 
 This was answered by a smart volley from the 
 corral, which smashed two of the windows and 
 brought out a chorus of shrieks from the timid 
 females within. The more experienced hastily put 
 out the lights, and disposing themselves in sheltered
 
 248 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 corners, awaited results in more or less discomfort, 
 and with what patience they possessed. 
 
 Very soon the shots were coming thick and fast, 
 and as a bullet whizzed uncomfortably close to Don- 
 ald's face, he decided that it was no place for him. 
 Looking hastily around, he spied the large, heavy 
 woodbox just beside the door, and making a rush 
 for it, he plunged in head first, and landed with full 
 force directly on top of some one else, who had ap- 
 parently also liked its looks.
 
 CHAPTER XXIV 
 BRANDING 
 
 HRISTMAS ! " exclaimed Bronco's voice. 
 " why th' deuce don't you look where 
 you're goin'? You knocked th' breath clean out 
 uh me. Who are you, anyway ? " 
 
 " It's me," Donald explained. " I didn't think 
 there was anybody here. Sorry I jumped on you." 
 
 " Oh, if it's you, it's all right," Bronco returned. 
 " Thought maybe it was Chico, an' I don't want 
 him in here. You will, you son of a gun ! " he broke 
 off as a bullet buried itself in the thick planking of 
 the box. " Take that ! " and he fired two or three 
 shots in the direction from which it had come and 
 then paused to slip in some more shells. 
 
 " It's those Ackerman fellows, I suppose," Don- 
 ald remarked, after another exchange of shots. 
 
 " Sure thing. I knew they'd be up t' some devil- 
 try. Say, Pete; what come uh Ed, anyway? He 
 
 ain't lyin' there yet, is he ? " 
 
 249
 
 250 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 Donald peered cautiously over his end of the box, 
 which was within a few feet of the doorway, but 
 could see nothing. 
 
 "No; he's gone." 
 
 " Reckon th' girls took him in," Bronco com- 
 mented. " Things got warm s' quick I clean forgot 
 about him." 
 
 For several hours the shots continued, growing 
 gradually more scattered and desultory. Then the 
 voice of Alkali came out of the darkness behind 
 them. 
 
 " Say, fellers," he drawled, " ease up a bit. I 
 think them cusses is gone." 
 
 Fifteen minutes passed without a shot. Then the 
 men began to appear from all sides and in a body 
 they trooped out to the corral. Here they found 
 no one. The Ackerman boys had evidently slipped 
 off in the darkness, for their horses were gone. Just 
 how long the outfit had been shooting at each other 
 it would be hard to say, but they were certainly a 
 mad lot as they went back to the house, and the two 
 brothers would not have fared well had they been 
 able to lay their hands on them.
 
 Branding 251 
 
 A couple of lamps were lit and the girls appeared 
 from various corners, looking disheveled and alto- 
 gether cross at the unexpected ending to the fes- 
 tivities. 
 
 As Bronco had surmised, Ed had been dragged 
 inside and was all right except for a lump the size 
 of a hen's egg on his forehead and a splitting head- 
 ache. He had been struck with the butt of a Colt 
 the moment he went out of the door, and it had 
 been done so quickly that there was no time to see 
 who it was. The men had no doubt of its being the 
 Ackerman boys, however, for when they counted 
 noses they were the only ones missing except 
 Claude. 
 
 " Where's Chico, I wonder," Bronco said. 
 
 " I expect he's hid hisself so well he can't find his 
 way back," Alkali remarked. 
 
 It was daylight, however, and they were just on 
 the point of leaving, before the mystery was solved. 
 Then, as they left the house laughing and talking, 
 one of the men stopped suddenly. 
 
 " What's that noise ? " he said. 
 
 In the silence which followed they heard the
 
 252 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 muffled sound of a voice, accompanied by a hollow 
 knocking, from around the corner. 
 
 An investigation showed that it came from the 
 rain-barrel, which was partly sunk into the ground 
 under the eaves, and from which protruded a pair 
 of extremely large feet, incased in patent leather 
 ties. 
 
 "Blamed if it ain't Chico!" exclaimed Alkali. 
 " Take a holt, Bill, an' pull him out." 
 
 When he appeared he was a sorry sight. Fortu- 
 nately, there was no water in the barrel, but there 
 was a deposit of some two inches of slime on the 
 bottom, and Claude had brought most of this away 
 on his person. His temper was not improved by 
 the enforced captivity. 
 
 " I should think yuh fellows might have got me 
 out before," he said peevishly. " I've been poundin' 
 an' yellin' fur hours." 
 
 " It's too bad, Chico," Alkali said soothingly. " We 
 never heard a thing. What d'yuh get in there fur ? " 
 
 " T' see if I couldn't get a drink, uh course," 
 Claude snapped sarcastically. " D'yuh think I 
 wanted t' stand up an* git shot ? "
 
 Branding 253 
 
 The girls having been taken home, the men scat- 
 tered for their respective outfits, and the X L crowd 
 reached Madlock about seven o'clock. They took 
 things very easy all that day, and so managed it 
 that one bunch of cattle lasted until four o'clock, 
 when it was too late to round up any more. Then 
 they had supper and turned in directly afterward. 
 
 Bob returned the following morning, and for the 
 next three days the men were pushed to the utmost 
 in order that the dipping might be finished and the 
 branding begun as speedily as possible. On the 
 morning of the third day there were still over a 
 thousand head to be dipped, but Bob decided that 
 they must be done that day, and in order to make 
 things doubly sure he despatched the chuck wagon 
 directly after breakfast to one of the branding pens, 
 some ten miles this side of Rita Blanca, so that the 
 men would simply have to finish up in order to get 
 supper and a bed that night. They went to work 
 with a will and it is quite safe to say that the pas- 
 sage of those cattle through the dipping vat was the 
 most rapid thing on record, though it is doubtful 
 whether the majority of them got the thorough im-
 
 254 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 mersion they were supposed to have. In fact the boys 
 rather overdid it, for the last steer went through at 
 four o'clock, and ten minutes later they were in the 
 saddle and headed south, and extremely weary but 
 satisfied crowd at having seen the last of a disagree- 
 able duty for another year. 
 
 Bob had preceded them by a few hours, and when 
 they rode into camp shortly before six, he expressed 
 his disbelief at their having accomplished what they 
 said they had in forcible terms. 
 
 Bed certainly felt good to them that night, and 
 they wasted little time in getting there, for they 
 knew what was coming in the morning. 
 
 It was fortunate that they could not work in the 
 dark. Bob would have had no hesitation in getting 
 them up at two o'clock if it would have been any 
 use; and as it was they had finished breakfast by 
 half past four, and started out to hold a round-up. 
 
 Some eight hundred head were gathered in, and 
 from these they proceeded at once to cut out the 
 cows and calves. Donald was one of those detailed 
 to hold the cuts, and he found it no easy matter. In 
 a very few minutes he had made up his mind that
 
 Branding 255 
 
 calves were about the most irritating and irrespon- 
 sible creatures on the face of the globe. They didn't 
 seem to have a single atom of sense. The minute 
 they became separated from their mothers they 
 would stand still and set up a bawl or run aimlessly 
 around, bumping into anything which came in the 
 way, and falling over the slightest obstacle in the 
 most clumsy manner possible. It was simply impos- 
 sible to drive them, for they were as likely to run 
 under the horse as anywhere else, and it was for 
 that reason alone that the cows were cut out. With 
 them for the calves to tag around after, it was pos- 
 sible to maintain some sort of order. 
 
 When the herd had been sorted over, the rest of 
 the cattle were run off, and as many cows and calves 
 as possible were driven into the branding pen, while 
 the rest were day-herded outside. 
 
 In one corner of the pen a roaring fire had been 
 started, and several sets of branding irons put on 
 to heat. There was an iron for each letter, and one 
 man to operate each iron, so that no time would be 
 lost in changing them. In addition to these, there 
 was a roper and two sets of spreaders; a term ap-
 
 256 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 plied to the men who held the calf down while the 
 branding was being done. 
 
 Donald was one of the latter, with Bronco as a 
 side partner, and Claude and a cow-puncher named 
 Ben made up the other set. Shorty was roper, while 
 Alkali, Kentucky Bill, and Ed Foster were at the 
 fire. 
 
 As soon as the gate was closed Shorty roped a 
 calf around the hind legs and dragged him to one 
 side of the fire, where Bronco seized the tail, and 
 with a deft twist threw him on his side. Then he 
 pushed the under hind leg forward and pulled the 
 other out straight, while Donald, acting under in- 
 structions, pulled one of the front legs out straight 
 with an upward slant, and the animal was perfectly 
 helpless. As soon as this condition prevailed Bronco 
 yelled for hot irons, and the iron-men performed 
 their part of the work to the accompaniment of vig- 
 orous struggles and loud and prolonged shrieks of 
 pain and fright; but as a calf started bawling the 
 moment it was roped and kept it up with vigor and 
 persistency till it was released, this was scarcely 
 noticed. The last figure of the year was branded
 
 Branding 257 
 
 on the shoulder, and X L on the sides, and as soon 
 as the calf was finished another was waiting to be 
 operated on. 
 
 Donald found the work extremely tiring. Some 
 of the calves were yearlings, with a surprising 
 amount of agility and muscle, and it was frequently 
 all he could do to hold them down. Before he had 
 been at it an hour the muscles of his arms were 
 strained and sore; his trousers torn; and his legs 
 scratched and bruised from the vigorous kicks in- 
 flicted by the struggling animals. 
 
 The pen was presently a scene of confusion al- 
 most equal to that of the bronc corral. The calves 
 writhed and twisted frantically in their efforts to 
 get away, kicking up a choking cloud of dust, which 
 hung low over everything ; and their prolonged and 
 persistent shrieks smote loudly on the ear, making 
 a perfect Bedlam of the place. The cows, driven 
 to desperation by the bawling of their offspring, ran 
 as close to the fire as they dared, stumbling into 
 each other, and sometimes seriously impeding the 
 work of the roper: the sun beat down upon them 
 with pitiless force; the heat of the fire scorched
 
 258 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 them, and in a very short time they were drenched 
 to the skin, and streams of sweat, running down 
 their faces, made little ruts in the dust which had 
 settled there. 
 
 Taken all in all, it was about the hardest work 
 Donald had ever done, and that it was so hard was 
 due principally to the fact that it was almost con- 
 tinuous. Shorty gave them no rest. He was a fine 
 roper, and always had a calf ready before they had 
 finished branding the one before. After two or 
 three hours, however, things improved in that re- 
 spect. As the herd dwindled down it took longer 
 to single out the animals which had not been 
 branded; the delays became more frequent, and 
 sometimes they had to wait five or ten minutes for 
 a calf. Consequently, they presently began to cast 
 about for ways of enlivening the dull routine. A 
 habit of the calves was of material assistance at 
 this point. The moment they were released they 
 invariably sprang up and dashed blindly forward 
 in whatever direction they were headed, and a little 
 manceuvering could frequently accomplish a great 
 deal, while still having the appearance of innocence.
 
 Branding 259 
 
 " Look at Chico," Alkali remarked significantly, 
 as they were about to release a particularly vigorous 
 specimen. " Don't he look like a wishbone ? " 
 
 Claude stood with his back toward them, half 
 bending over, with his legs spread apart in a very 
 tempting arch, and Alkali's hint was enough. Don- 
 ald pulled the calf's head over a bit so that he was 
 pointed the right way, and they let him up. 
 
 Like a streak of lightning he shot forward and 
 struck Claude exactly where they had intended, with 
 such force that he was carried forward, surprised 
 and gasping, a dozen feet, where his progress sud- 
 denly came to an end by a collision with one of the 
 cows. He landed on the ground, and before he 
 could scramble up the cow had walked all over him, 
 to the intense delight of the onlookers, who, con- 
 vulsed with laughter, at once betrayed a keen and 
 concentrated interest in something which was taking 
 place at the other end of the corral. 
 
 Claude limped back casting suspicious glances in 
 their direction, and uttering maledictions on calves 
 in general and in particular. Of course his own had 
 seized the opportunity to break away from Ben and
 
 260 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 rush back into the herd, where it had to be roped 
 and thrown all over again. 
 
 Encouraged by their success, Bronco and Donald 
 presently let go another in Claude's direction. This 
 time he was thrown forward on top of the calf he 
 was holding down, with the result that there was an 
 instant whirlwind of kicking legs, and in the melee 
 Claude naturally got the worst of it. After that, 
 however, he kept an eye on them, and they had to 
 find some other method of passing the time. 
 
 They knocked off at twelve o'clock with extreme 
 promptness, and when they returned after dinner, 
 the branded cattle were taken out of the pen and 
 driven off a couple of miles before the rest of the 
 herd was brought in. Donald and Bronco then had 
 a spell at the irons, and managed to tire out an en- 
 tirely different set of muscles, so that, when they 
 knocked off at night, they were quite ready for bed. 
 
 The next day was a repetition of the first, and 
 was almost as trying. Bronco and Donald were 
 flankers again, and toward the end of the afternoon, 
 when things began to go rather slowly, the former 
 suggested that they ride some of the calves.
 
 Branding 261 
 
 " Why, you can't get on them, let alone stick 
 there any time," Donald said in surprise. 
 
 " That's just it," Bronco returned. " It's sport t' 
 see how long you can stay on: they're awful slip- 
 pery, an' buck like a bronc, only easier. Uh course, 
 you git on while they're down." 
 
 When he found that it wasn't some new kind of 
 a practical joke, Donald was quite willing to try, and 
 the next yearling they branded was held down by 
 Alkali and Bronco, while he got astride of it. 
 
 When they let the calf up it made the usual blind 
 rush across the pen. It made no attempt to buck 
 and Donald was very glad it didn't, for he had hard 
 enough work to stick on without that. The back 
 went up to a point, making it almost impossible to 
 sit steadily, and with the smooth sides and short 
 hair, there was nothing at all to hang on to. He 
 kept slipping first to one side and then to another, 
 and then the calf collided with a cow, and he went 
 off. 
 
 Bronco tried the next one, which started in with 
 a clumsy sort of bucking, that was, however, very 
 effective, since he slid off in less than a minute.
 
 262 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 They tried to persuade Claude to take part in the 
 sport, but that individual firmly refused to have any- 
 thing to do with it. 
 
 A couple of days later, toward the middle of the 
 morning, Donald was branding. He was hot and 
 tired, and wished it was time to knock off for dinner. 
 There was a moment's wait for a fresh calf, and he 
 straightened up to rest his aching back and drew his 
 sleeve across his face, which was dirty as any coal- 
 heaver's. As he did so he heard a strange voice di- 
 rectly behind him say in clear, well-bred tones : 
 
 " How much that fellow looks like Don Harring- 
 ton."
 
 n 
 
 CHAPTER XXV 
 HAZING HEINY 
 ONALD HARRINGTON ! " exclaimed an- 
 
 other voice. " How absurd you are, 
 Katherine. You're always seeing resemblances. 
 Which one do you mean ? " 
 
 " The one right in front of you, with that stick in 
 his hand." 
 
 Donald felt himself growing red to the ears as 
 he pictured the critical inspection which was going 
 on. His first impulse had been to look around and 
 see who were the owners of those strangely familiar 
 voices; his next, to pull his hat down over his face 
 and turn his back directly toward the fence, for he 
 hadn't the faintest desire to have any one he had 
 known in the old days recognize him now. He 
 wasn't in the least ashamed of what he was doing, 
 but he knew that these girls wouldn't understand 
 and would be very likely to make all sorts of talk 
 
 and gossip of it when they got back home. He was, 
 
 263
 
 264 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 besides, a little curious to hear the real, unadulter- 
 ated opinion of these two, whose voices he was try- 
 ing hard to place in his mind. 
 
 Presently the inspection was finished. 
 
 " No; that isn't Don," the second one said decid- 
 edly. " He does look a little like him, I admit ; but 
 can you imagine Don Harrington looking like that 
 and doing that disgusting work?" 
 
 " Oh, I don't know," the other returned doubt- 
 fully. " Don's peculiar : he might do anything." 
 
 "Well, I don't think he'd do this; it's awful. 
 Why, that fellow doesn't look as though he'd had 
 a bath in a month." 
 
 Donald smiled grimly. He was certainly getting 
 the real facts about himself straight from the shoul- 
 der, and it was decidedly interesting, even though 
 it did make him rather hot under the collar. 
 
 " Whatever in the world has become of him, I 
 wonder ? " the girl continued. " Did you ever hear, 
 Katherine?" 
 
 " Nobody knows : that is, nobody but Sally, and 
 she won't tell a word. They do say " 
 
 But at that moment Ed yelled for hot irons and
 
 Hazing Heiny 265 
 
 the rest of the conversation was lost. In a couple 
 of minutes Donald leaned over to thrust an iron into 
 the fire and stole a glance at the fence. 
 
 It was as he supposed. Katherine Travers and 
 Elsie Kingdon, two of Sally's friends, and inciden- 
 tally his own, were standing there, watching the 
 proceedings with languid interest. He had never 
 cared much for Elsie anyway, he decided; though 
 Katherine wasn't so bad. Katherine, it may be re- 
 marked, had not said that he needed a bath. 
 
 " No, I don't see anything interesting about it," 
 Elsie was saying. " To me it's disgusting. I can't 
 understand why father dragged us out here. We'd 
 have much better stayed in the car." 
 
 " Oh, goodness, no ! " Katherine expostulated. 
 " This is heaps better than that tiresome car. Of 
 course, this stamping the letters on is a little unpleas- 
 ant, but everything else is so new and fascinating. 
 Mercy! look at that poor thing loll his tongue out. 
 I suppose it's very painful." 
 
 " I suppose so ; they certainly make enough noise 
 about it. I wonder we have any ear drums left. 
 Come on; let's see if we can't persuade father to
 
 266 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 go back to that house for luncheon. I couldn't eat 
 a thing in this hot, dusty place, and no doubt the 
 dishes are as dirty as the men." 
 
 They tripped off toward the wagon, where two 
 well-dressed strangers were talking to Bob, and, as 
 Donald looked after them, a voice murmured in 
 his ear : 
 
 "You look awful dirty, Pete. Why don't you 
 take a bath once a month ? " 
 
 Donald wheeled around like a shot. It was 
 Bronco, who stood there with an extremely quizzical 
 expression on his face. 
 
 " T me it's disgustin'," he mused in a faraway 
 tone. " I don't see nothin' interestin' about it. Say ; 
 she struck it about right, didn't she, Pete ? " he 
 went on more briskly. " There ain't a darn thing 
 interestin' about brandin' that I knows of. Gee! 
 she's the genuine article, though. Must be th' 
 daughter uh old man Harden, th' president uh th' 
 company." 
 
 Donald breathed a sigh of relief. Evidently 
 Bronco had missed the first part of the conversation 
 in which his name was mentioned.
 
 Hazing Heiny 267 
 
 " Well, th' other one c'n have me ; she's a peach," 
 Bronco continued. " No highfalutin' airs about 
 her." 
 
 " Hot irons ! " yelled Alkali. 
 
 " Here, Pete," Bronco said, as he snatched up his 
 iron. " Git busy an' stamp a few letters on this pore 
 critter with his tongue lollin' out. Don't hurt him, 
 now." 
 
 Bronco's imitation was simply delicious. Donald 
 burst out laughing, and the momentary irritation 
 he had felt at Elsie Kingdon's remarks passed away 
 as quickly as it had come. 
 
 When they got over to the wagon for dinner he 
 was relieved to find that the strangers had gone 
 back to the ranch house with Bob an hour before, 
 leaving Heiny in a state of sullen indignation at the 
 insult to his ability as a cook. 
 
 The resulting meal was extremely poor, but their 
 unfavorable comments could only draw forth a sin- 
 gle remark from the fat Dutchman : 
 
 " Tage id or leave id : id's all you ged." 
 
 Bob being away, he could afford to be independ- 
 ent.
 
 268 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 " Say, fellows," Alkali remarked, as they strolled 
 away from the wagon. " That Dutchman needs a 
 layin' out. He's gettin' too blamed hefty. What 
 d' yuh say t' gittin' a steer on th' peck an' runnin' 
 him in t' th' wagon. Maybe we c'n catch the son of 
 a gun nappin'." 
 
 The idea met with vociferous approval, and was 
 forthwith put into instant action. Saddling up, Al- 
 kali and Kentucky Bill started out to find the steer, 
 while the rest went over to the branding pen, as 
 though intent only upon beginning the afternoon's 
 work. 
 
 To get a steer " on the peck " was not difficult. 
 Once roped, a little judicious teasing usually worked 
 him up into such a state of anger that he would 
 charge anything he saw in the shape of a man, and 
 the watchers in the branding pen waited impa- 
 tiently for the two cow-punchers to accomplish this 
 result. 
 
 Heiny pottered about the wagon, slowly washing 
 the dishes and muttering crossly to himself. It was 
 pleasant to observe that he was very slow about it. 
 If he got things cleaned up and climbed into the
 
 Hazing Heiny 269 
 
 wagon for a sleep as he usually did in the after- 
 noon before the steer appeared, there wouldn't be 
 any fun at all about it. To obtain the full flavor of 
 the jest, it was necessary to catch him unprepared in 
 the open. 
 
 Half an hour passed, and then a single figure 
 came in sight over a knoll a mile away. He was 
 closely pursued by a large Hereford steer, from 
 whose horns dangled a catch rope, and the boys 
 watched the chase with breathless interest. 
 
 Presently they recognized Alkali, and observed 
 that, as he neared the camp, he was careful to keep 
 the wagon between himself and Heiny. 
 
 Unconscious of impending evil, the latter con- 
 tinued to scour his pots and only gave a slight start 
 when Alkali dashed suddenly around the end of the 
 wagon, and circling about it, made off again. 
 
 " Foolishness ! " he muttered. 
 
 Then he looked up into the face of the steer, as it 
 paused irresolute some six feet away. 
 
 " Gott in Himmel ! " he gasped, dropping the pot. 
 
 At the sight of this easier game, the animal made 
 a lunge in his direction, and uttering a shriek of
 
 270 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 fright, Heiny dove under the wagon with an agility 
 surprising in one so large. 
 
 The steer stopped short and pawed the ground 
 in a puzzled way. Then he turned and ran around 
 to the other side, just as the cook was crawling out, 
 bent on seeking refuge in the branding pen. 
 
 There was another shriek, and the delighted ob- 
 servers, clustered behind the wire fence, heard a loud 
 bump as his head struck the axle, in his frantic haste 
 to get under cover again. 
 
 " Don't hurry so, Heiny," Bronco advised. 
 " You'll get heart disease." 
 
 "Talk t' him nice, in Dutch," Ed drawled. 
 " Mebbe he don't savvy English." 
 
 Finding that he had disappeared again, the steer 
 promptly returned to the other side; but Heiny had 
 grown wise and did not show himself. He crouched 
 under the wagon, watching the movements of his 
 tormentor through the spokes of the wheels, and 
 breathing horrible threats of vengeance upon each 
 and every member of the outfit in fluent, forceful, 
 but luckily, unintelligible Dutch. 
 
 The steer soon tired of running from one side of
 
 Hazing Heiny 271 
 
 the wagon to the other, and presently he began to 
 investigate the camp. Before long he had upset the 
 bar over the fire-hole and trodden upon two skillets 
 and one of the pots. While this was going on Heiny 
 took advantage of the momentary diversion, and 
 crawling from under the wagon, fled toward the 
 branding pen. He had not taken a dozen steps be- 
 fore the steer saw him and started in hot pursuit. 
 The race was short, but brisk, and was accom- 
 panied by a running fire of comment and advice 
 from the delighted onlookers. With scarcely a hun- 
 dred and fifty feet to go, Heiny might have made 
 it in safety had he headed for the gate at the far 
 corner of the pen. Apparently, he decided that he 
 would save time by climbing over the fence at the 
 side nearest him, but it proved his undoing. He 
 reached it some twelve feet ahead of the steer; 
 scrambled heavily up three of the wires and then, 
 with some slight assistance from behind, he sailed 
 easily over the top and landed on the other side with 
 a heavy thud; the seat of his trousers irreparably 
 ruined. He lay still where he had fallen, and fear- 
 ing that he was hurt, the men hurried over to him.
 
 272 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 They found, however, that it was only lack of wind, 
 and when he recovered his breath he proceeded to 
 give his opinion of them with a vigor and force 
 which put all previous efforts in the shade. Not 
 being linguists, it was all Greek to them, and per- 
 haps that was just as well for Heiny. 
 
 "Ah, shut up, Heiny," Alkali said presently. 
 " Yuh ain't hurt. Go an' git some other pants on ; 
 yuh don't look decent in them." 
 
 The cook, however, refused to leave the corral, 
 even though the steer had calmed down and wan- 
 dered away ; so the fellows let him alone and hustled 
 out to round up some cattle. They had used up a 
 considerable portion of the afternoon, and it be- 
 hooved them to get busy if they didn't want a laying 
 out from Bob when he returned.
 
 CHAPTER XXVI 
 SLICKERS AND SANDBURRS 
 
 THREE days later the cattle within a radius of 
 twelve miles had been pretty well gone over 
 and it was a waste of time to make any longer 
 drives, so Bob gave orders for them to change their 
 headquarters to another branding pen about twenty- 
 five miles to the westward. 
 
 They packed up with alacrity, and in a short time 
 were on their way. Bob accompanied them, so there 
 was no chance for any unnecessary dawdling, and 
 they pushed ahead at such a speed that in three 
 hours they were near enough to the corral to start 
 a round-up. By noontime the pen was filled, and 
 they were hard at work again. 
 
 The wagon trundled slowly in about three o'clock, 
 for Heiny always believed in taking his time, espe- 
 cially when changing camp. If he could keep the 
 men waiting two or three hours for their dinner, or 
 
 by some lucky chance, manage to delay long enough 
 
 273
 
 274 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 for them to lose it altogether, he was really quite 
 good-tempered for a couple of days. 
 
 As soon as he appeared they all made a dash for 
 him, and despite his objections, laid violent hands 
 on the chuck box, and proceeded to consume every- 
 thing eatable in sight. Donald was holding the herd 
 and, consequently, could not get away until he was 
 relieved. He had small hope of there being any- 
 thing left for him, and was agreeably surprised 
 when he rode in half an hour after the rest, to find 
 that Bronco had saved a big chunk of bread, and 
 that there was still a little coffee in the bottom of the 
 pot. It didn't take much time to finish this, and 
 when he was through he swung himself into the sad- 
 dle again, and sat there for a few minutes talking 
 to Bronco. He was riding Yaller Legs, one of his 
 horses, whose main fault was an unconquerable 
 aversion to a slicker. Almost all the fellows had at 
 least one animal in their mount whom it was impos- 
 sible to ride in the rain because, the moment they felt 
 the skirts of the slicker dangling around them, they 
 would buck and kick and behave so badly that there 
 was no doing anything with them. In the course
 
 Slickers and Sandburrs 275 
 
 of time they got so that the mere sight of one spread 
 out on the ground or hanging from the wagon, was 
 like a red flag to a bull. 
 
 Donald sat with his back to the wagon, and one 
 leg thrown over the horn of the saddle, and Alkali, 
 seeing a good chance to play a trick on him, came 
 stealthily up behind, his slicker unrolled in one hand, 
 and when he got close enough to the unsuspecting 
 Yaller Legs, he threw it deftly over his head. 
 
 There was a muffled snort of surprise and rage; 
 followed by a furious rush forward, which threw 
 Donald, unprepared as he was, out of the saddle and 
 into the arms of Bronco. The latter staggered un- 
 der the shock; then his foot slipped and they came 
 down together, to the great amusement of Alkali. 
 
 " Yuh ain't got a very good seat, Pete," he said, 
 grinning. " I sh'd think yuh'd bin on th' range 
 long enough t' sit a horse when he side-steps a little. 
 Yuh ought t' take lessons in ridin'." 
 
 The two boys rose to their feet in silence and be- 
 gan to brush off the dust. Meanwhile the horse was 
 working himself into a perfect fury; pawing the 
 ground fiercely and trying to dislodge the slicker by
 
 276 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 vigorous shakings of the head. It was partly but- 
 toned, and his efforts only succeeded in making it 
 slip down further still.' Suddenly there was an om- 
 
 >' 
 
 inous ripping sound. 
 
 " You ain't s' smart as you think you are," 
 Bronco drawled. " Look at your old slicker 
 now." 
 
 By dint of much struggling, Yaller Legs had 
 worked the garment down so that he could step on it 
 and at the same time he got a good grip on the upper 
 part with his teeth; the rest was easy. In five sec- 
 onds, despite Alkali's attempts to save it, the slicker 
 was in strips, and Yaller Legs was restively pawing 
 the ground and surveying the remains, much as one 
 who had rid the community of a dangerous pest. 
 
 " You will try your funny tricks," Donald said 
 gleefully. " You're out just about four dollars." 
 
 " Ha, ha, ha ! " laughed Claude, who had been 
 much diverted by the proceedings. " Ain't it funny 
 t' see him tear it up? " 
 
 " What th' deuce are yuh blatin' about ? " roared 
 Alkali fiercely, as he wheeled suddenly around. 
 "Who give yuh any license t' butt in?"
 
 Slickers and Sandburrs 277 
 
 Qaude's jaws came together with a snap which 
 cut short the raucous burst of merriment, and he 
 quickly retreated a few steps, eyeing Alkali nerv- 
 ously. 
 
 " Humph," he said peevishly, when he was at a 
 safe distance, " ain't this a free country, I'd like t' 
 know; an' can't I laugh when I want to? " 
 
 " Well, for th' Lord's sake, when yuh want t' 
 laugh don't blat like a darned sheep. Yuh make me 
 sick." 
 
 Like most practical jokers, Alkali took things 
 very hard when they didn't come his way, but hav- 
 ing got some of the spleen off his system, he soon 
 picked up, and presently recovered his usual good 
 temper, though it was a long time before he had 
 ceased lamenting the loss of his slicker. 
 
 About four hundred feet to the north of the camp 
 was a large buffalo wallow, the bottom of which, 
 pounded down by years of constant use, was almost 
 as hard as rock, and held about three feet of water 
 from the last rain. The boys had had their eyes on it 
 from the first moment of their arrival, and many 
 were the longing glances cast in that direction, when
 
 278 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 the sun beat down with more than ordinary strength 
 or the calves kicked up an extra amount of dust. 
 
 It was, consequently, not surprising when the 
 energetic Bob left them for a few hours the next 
 day, that their first thought was of it. In fact, he 
 was scarcely out of sight before they, one and all, 
 made a bee-line in that direction, and in five minutes 
 . they were splashing about in the water like a lot of 
 schoolboys. 
 
 In less than half an hour, however, they had had 
 enough of it, for the sun was extremely hot on the 
 unprotected skin, and the water was very muddy. 
 They had just come out and were beginning to dress 
 when Heiny appeared. 
 
 " How is id? " he inquired, with unusual affable- 
 ness. Evidently the memory of the steer, which had 
 rankled for some days, had momentarily disap- 
 peared. 
 
 " Fine," Ed assured him. " Makes yuh feel like 
 a new man." 
 
 " I think I will dry id," Heiny remarked, sitting 
 down ponderously and beginning to unlace one shoe. 
 " Maybe id will gool me off."
 
 Slickers and Sandburrs 279 
 
 This determination met with much applause, and 
 the virtues of the pool were set forth in glowing 
 terms. Alkali alone was strangely quiet. He seemed 
 bent solely in pulling on his boots. 
 
 After some delay incident to disrobing, Heiny 
 arose, clad only in his native modesty, and walking 
 heavily down the little slope, dabbled one foot in the 
 water. 
 
 Apparently, he approved, for he waded cautiously 
 in until the water reached nearly to his knees. Then 
 his foot slipped and he sat down with a tremendous 
 splash, which sent a miniature tidal wave rushing 
 up the bank. 
 
 The men stood in a bunch watching him, and com- 
 menting upon the pleasing spectacle. 
 
 " Say, Heiny," Bronco drawled. " I never 
 knowed you had such a lovely shape. Reg'lar 
 Venus, ain't he, Ed?" 
 
 " Yeah. He don't want t' let none uh these ar- 
 tist fellows see him. They'd be puttin' him in a 
 picture.'* 
 
 Meanwhile, shielded from observation by the 
 screen of men, Alkali had rapidly and circumspectly
 
 280 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 gathered up the cook's garments, down to the last 
 shoe, and was now speeding across the plain to the 
 camp. 
 
 Heiny paid no attention to the teasing. He sat 
 luxuriating in the pool, with the water up to his 
 chin, and eyed the men in scornful silence, so that 
 they soon wearied of the unprofitable occupation 
 and, turning, strolled back toward the camp. 
 
 For a time Heiny's expression remained the same. 
 Plainly, he was pondering upon the inate foolish- 
 ness of man. Then, all at once, a look of surprise 
 flashed across his face, followed instantly by one of 
 dismay and horror. There was an agitation of the 
 water, and he struggled to his feet, looking like some 
 fat, pink porpoise, and hastily waddled to the shore. 
 Then an enraged bellow rent the air. 
 
 " You defils ! Where iss my clothes ? Bring 
 bag my clothes." 
 
 There was no response. The men were too far 
 away to distinguish the words, and would not have 
 heeded him if they had. One or two heard the 
 sounds, and, looking back, waved an affectionate 
 farewell.
 
 Slickers and Sandburrs 281 
 
 Heiny was in a state of unsuppressed fury. He 
 poured forth a stream of strange Dutch oaths, and 
 shook his clenched fist wildly at the departing 
 crowd. Then, rather exhausted by so much exer- 
 tion, he sank down on the sand to rest. 
 
 With a surprised yell of pain he sprang up again 
 as though galvanized, and clapped both hands to the 
 afflicted part, from which he presently drew forth 
 a particularly large and robust sandburr. 
 
 He looked at it closely : his eyes intently searched 
 the ground, and then, as he looked back across the 
 flat, sandy expanse toward the camp, he groaned. 
 
 Now it may seem a matter of small moment to 
 traverse some four hundred feet of perfectly good 
 ground, even in bare feet; and so it would have 
 been but for the sandburr s. These tiny objects, with 
 fheir fine, sharp, yet stiff spines, are scattered thickly 
 over the plains in such quantities as to be a decided 
 nuisance. They stick tenaciously to anything and 
 everything, and are as difficult to pull out of the 
 skin as any splinter. Consequently, it is not to be 
 wondered that Heiny viewed the prospect before 
 him with dismay.
 
 282 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 Knowing the boys as he did, however, he realized 
 that there wasn't the least chance of their bringing 
 back his clothes, and as the sun was beginning to 
 feel unpleasantly hot, he finally set out. He walked 
 gingerly, like one treading on eggs, taking short 
 steps and setting his feet down with care and pre- 
 cision. For the first dozen steps nothing happened, 
 and he was beginning to think that it was a false 
 alarm, and that the burr he had sat on was buf a 
 stray specimen. The next moment this hope was 
 shattered, and he spent some five minutes picking the 
 remains of two good-sized ones out of his foot. 
 
 His progress into camp was a slow and painful 
 one. It took him nearly two hours to cover the 
 short distance, and when he finally reached it, he 
 was mad enough to commit murder. His shoulders 
 and back were burned a beautiful pink, and were 
 already beginning to smart, while his feet were sim- 
 ply riddled with spines which he had been unable to 
 pull out. 
 
 He found his clothes piled neatly in the wagon, 
 and having dressed, he put in the rest of the after- 
 noon picking the bits of sandburr out of his feet with
 
 Slickers and Sandburrs 283 
 
 a knife. He was engaged in this occupation when 
 Bob returned and without waiting to be questioned, 
 he promptly gave the latter a highly-colored account 
 of the affair, which resulted in a severe laying-out 
 for all hands. 
 
 At first Donald had been rather sorry for Heiny, 
 but this action somewhat mitigated his sympathy. 
 For weeks the cook refused to speak to a single 
 member of the outfit, and whenever he possibly 
 could, he got even by giving them skimpy, ill-cooked 
 meals, so that it was a question whether he didn't 
 really come out ahead in the end, after all.
 
 CHAPTER XXVII 
 THE STAMPEDE 
 
 ONE morning, a day or two later, Donald was 
 taking his usual part in the round-up. He 
 had nearly finished his section, and was quite near 
 the pen, when he came upon a cow which seemed 
 possessed of more than the ordinary amount of stu- 
 pidity. 
 
 She had been quietly grazing with a small bunch 
 which he picked up as he came along, but in less than 
 five minutes she made a sudden dash to one side 
 and tried to escape. He at once headed her back 
 again, and she had barely reached the main body, 
 when she stopped short and obstinately refused to 
 budge. The rules were strict against using a rope, 
 but Donald proceeded at once to break them, and 
 gave her several licks with the end of his. This only 
 resulted in another break for the open prairie, and 
 another chase ensued. Three times she broke away, 
 
 until Donald was mad through and through. The 
 
 284
 
 The Stampede 285 
 
 delay had given the rest of the cattle a chance to 
 stop running and spread out, and he saw that in a 
 few minutes they would be so scattered that all his 
 work would have to be done over again. So making 
 sure that no one was in sight, he shook out his rope 
 and whirling it around his head, caught the cow 
 neatly by the hind legs. She promptly fell in a heap 
 and stayed there. 
 
 It took him ten minutes, and nearly wore out 
 his rope before he could get her up, and when 
 he finally did, he saw, to his dismay, that she had 
 dislocated one of her hind legs. 
 
 This was unfortunate, but the only thing to do 
 was to drive her along with the rest; so he urged 
 her forward, and gathering up the remainder of the 
 cattle, he reached the pen half an hour after every 
 one else. 
 
 Of course Bob instantly spotted the cow, and 
 gave him a good lecture on the evils of indescrimi- 
 nate roping. He then decided to repair the damage 
 at once, and driving the animal into the pen, she was 
 thrown and ropes attached to her horns and to each 
 hind leg, and pulled taut.
 
 286 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 " Git on that rope, a couple of you fellows," he 
 said, as he and Shorty leaned over the cow. "And 
 pull all you know how." 
 
 Alkali and Ben went to Donald's assistance, and 
 they pulled with all their strength on the dislocated 
 leg, while Shorty and Bob pressed down hard on 
 the joint. The cow gave a terrific bellow, and the 
 next instant the bone snapped into place. 
 
 Claude stood by, all agog, watching the proceed- 
 ings with great interest, while the other men looked 
 on from points a little nearer the gate. 
 
 When the ropes were slipped off, the animal 
 struggled to its feet, and then suddenly and with- 
 out warning, let out another bellow and made 
 straight for the surprised Claude. 
 
 He promptly fled for the fence, and being more 
 agile than Heiny, he went up it like a squirrel, and 
 was nearly safe, when his shirt caught on one of the 
 barbs and held him fast. 
 
 A moment later the cow crashed into it with such 
 force that Claude was dislodged, and promptly fell 
 under the animal's feet, and there was a general rush 
 forward of the other men to drive her away, or she
 
 The Stampede 287 
 
 might have done some serious injury. As it was, 
 Claude escaped with a few bruises and a torn shirt; 
 all through his own coolheadedness and courage, as 
 would appear from his narration of the event after- 
 ward. 
 
 Instead of running the steers off after the cows 
 and calves had been cut out of this bunch, they were 
 held a short distance away from the pen, since it 
 was necessary to ship three thousand of them to 
 Denver. 
 
 These were not all gathered together until the 
 next afternoon, but as soon as the number was com- 
 plete the entire outfit started with them for Perica, 
 which lay twenty miles to the northeast. 
 
 Camping on the way, they reached the shipping 
 pen early in the morning, and found that the cars 
 were not yet in. The herd was divided into two 
 parts and six of the men detailed to hold it, while 
 the rest entered the pen and busied themselves in 
 getting the runway in shape, and sand for the bot- 
 tom of the cars ready, so that there should be no 
 delay when the train did arrive. 
 
 Donald, Bronco, and Kentucky Bill were holding
 
 288 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 the half of the herd furthest away from the pen 
 and nearest the track, and they had their hands full. 
 For some reason the cattle were unusually restive. 
 They kept continually in motion, a few milling 
 around and around, but the majority moving about 
 in an aimless manner, and apparently utterly unable 
 to stand still. Those on the outer edge of the herd 
 showed a decided and irritating tendency to stray 
 away, and every few moments one would make a 
 quick dash for the plains, so that the three fellows 
 had to be constantly on the alert to keep them to- 
 gether. 
 
 " They're sure full of the devil to-day," Donald 
 remarked, as he met Bronco on one of the rounds. 
 
 " I sh'd say yes," the latter returned. " I reckon 
 we're goin' t' have a storm. They most gener- 
 ally begin t' act up three or four hours before it 
 comes." 
 
 " Well, I don't see any signs of it now," Donald 
 said, looking up at the clear sky. " I guess they'll 
 be on the way to Denver before that happens." 
 
 " Hope so. It ain't any fun tryin' t' hold a herd 
 in a thunderstorm. Thank th' Lord there's th'
 
 The Stampede 289 
 
 train : now we c'n git rid uh some uh these critters 
 that are raisin' such a rumpus." 
 
 The faint, far-away sound of the whistle, which 
 came from the southward, was a welcome signal to 
 all hands, and Bob at once started to drive the steers 
 into the shipping pen from the other section of the 
 herd, so that by the time the engine appeared, slowly 
 puffing its way along the uneven, single track, the 
 pen was full. 
 
 The cattle cars were, of course, in the body of the 
 freight, and it took an exasperating amount of back- 
 ing and filling on the part of the engine to shunt six 
 of them down the siding. The brakes had hardly 
 ceased grinding, however, before the boys had the 
 incline pulled up into the door of the first car, and 
 in five minutes the bottom had been sanded and a 
 line of unwilling steers pushed and prodded along 
 the runway ; urged on by shouts and yells, and wav- 
 ing of hats. 
 
 The arrival of the train was not calculated to 
 soothe the restive cattle in the second portion of the 
 herd. As it rumbled past them there was a general 
 crowding back on the part of those nearest the track,
 
 290 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 which was communicated to the rest, and it was 
 only by dint of the most constant watchfulness that 
 the three men could keep them in hand. During 
 the manoeuverings which followed, every short, 
 sharp toot of the whistle, and every crash of the 
 cars bumping together, was followed by a more or 
 less local disturbance among the steers, until the 
 men were in a state of unsuppressed rage, and ap- 
 plied sundry extremely uncomplimentary epithets, 
 not alone to the engineer, but to every official of the 
 road, up to the president. 
 
 At length the first six cars were in place and then, 
 for some reason, unknown and utterly unnecessary, 
 there came a sudden shrill, prolonged, vibrating 
 shriek of the whistle. 
 
 That was enough. Like a shot a dozen steers 
 broke from the bunch and started across the plains 
 at a gallop; twenty followed the next instant, and in 
 two seconds half the herd was running. 
 
 " Get after 'em! " Bob yelled. " Get after 'em! 
 Turn th' herd!" 
 
 His voice sounded clear above the thunder of fly- 
 ing hoofs, and instantly the men in the corral
 
 The Stampede 291 
 
 dropped everything, and running out to their horses, 
 vaulted into the saddles and started off: some fol- 
 lowed the stampeding mob, and others hurried to 
 the assistance of those who were striving desper- 
 ately to hold what was left of the first lot of cat- 
 tle, most of whom were doing their best to break 
 away and follow the others. 
 
 Donald had often heard the men tell about stam- 
 pedes, and what was usually done to stop them ; con- 
 sequently, when the first rush came, he did not lose 
 his head, as he might otherwise have done, but 
 jabbed his spurs into Freckles and started in pur- 
 suit. He knew that their only hope of stopping the 
 stampede was to ride in a line along one side and, 
 gradually turning inward, force the cattle to con- 
 stantly change their direction, so that, in the course 
 of time, they would end up by milling around in a 
 big circle. After that it was easy enough to quiet 
 them down. 
 
 He did not stop to think that Bob might want 
 some more experienced man to lead the line. To him 
 every second seemed precious, and he went ahead on 
 his own responsibility, trusting to luck that he
 
 292 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 was doing the right thing, and feeling almost 
 certain that the others would follow to back him 
 up. 
 
 Freckles responded nobly to his urging, and in 
 ten minutes he had crept up to a level with the lead- 
 ers. Then, for the first time, he looked back. 
 Bronco and Kentucky were not far behind, but be- 
 tween them and the first one of the men who had 
 been in the corral, was a gap of fully a quarter of 
 a mile. He could see that there was no use of trying 
 to do anything until that space had been very much 
 lessened. The three of them might succeed in turn- 
 ing the leaders of the herd, but the main body would 
 run straight ahead, and passing between them and 
 the second section of riders, would place them di- 
 rectly in the midst of the stampede, and things 
 would be in an even worse condition than before. 
 So he rode on, keeping Freckles slightly in advance 
 of the leaders, and frequently looking back to see 
 whether the others were gaining as rapidly as he 
 hoped. 
 
 They had gone some six miles from the railroad 
 when, all at once, surmounting a rise, he was dis-
 
 The Stampede 293 
 
 mayed to see, less than a half a mile ahead, a buggy, 
 drawn by two horses, coming straight toward them 
 over the prairie. 
 
 There were two people in it, and at the sight of 
 the mob of cattle rushing at them, one of them 
 pulled the horses in, and for a moment they stood 
 still, as though they didn't quite know what to make 
 of it. Donald shouted at the top of his voice, and 
 waved his arms frantically toward the left. Then 
 the man seemed to realize his danger, and taking 
 out the whip, he lashed the horses over the flanks 
 and tried to turn them around. 
 
 Apparently, they were but newly-broken to har- 
 ness, for as the lash curled around them, one reared 
 up almost to his full height, while the other jerked 
 away from the pole and nearly fell. 
 
 The next instant one of the reins broke with a 
 snap, and the other slipped out of the man's 
 hand, leaving him helpless. Then the horses 
 wheeled sharply around, nearly upsetting the 
 buggy as they did so, and bolted over the prairie 
 at a mad gallop, directly in the path of the flying 
 cattle.
 
 294 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 As they turned, Donald saw to his dismay, that 
 one of the occupants was a woman, and bad as it 
 was before, this somehow made things seem infi- 
 nitely worse. They were barely two hundred feet 
 ahead of the stampede and absolutely helpless, so 
 far as any means of controlling the horses were con- 
 cerned, and Donald shuddered as he pictured what 
 would happen if they were caught in that mob of 
 frenzied, maddened steers. 
 
 As he realized their peril, all thought of turning 
 the herd left the boy's mind. His one idea was to 
 catch up with the runaway horses, and he strained 
 every effort to do so. 
 
 Slowly Freckles gained on them. Inch by inch, 
 foot by foot, he crept up, until the two hundred feet 
 was cut in half. Donald's hat was gone; his hair 
 lay on his forehead, a moist, matted tangle ; the ends 
 of his handkerchief fluttered in the wind behind 
 him; and as he rode, his eyes stared fixedly at the 
 backs of those two ahead. The man, big and broad ; 
 whose dark hair was tinged with gray; the girl, 
 slight and fair; her golden curls shaken loose and 
 hanging in disorder over her shoulders.
 
 The Stampede 295 
 
 And as the seconds passed an expression of stony 
 horror came into the boy's face, for slowly the in- 
 credible truth was forced upon him : 
 
 The man was his father, and the girl his sister 
 Sally.
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII 
 THE UNEXPECTED 
 
 DONALD was dazed and bewildered. He could 
 not understand; and for a moment it seemed 
 as though he must be dreaming, and would presently 
 wake up. Then he looked again and realized that it 
 was only too true. 
 
 Sally, his own dear Sally, here! With a dry, 
 convulsive sob, he brought his quirt down fiercely 
 on Freckles' flank. 
 
 He felt as though he were standing still and his 
 tense nerves, strung to the breaking point, pictured 
 the cattle rushing rapidly upon them. He could 
 almost feel the hot breath of the leaders on his neck. 
 
 But as he glanced around he saw that they were 
 a good hundred feet behind, and a little encouraged, 
 he gave his undivided attention to urging Freckles 
 forward, and presently had the satisfaction of seeing 
 that he was gaining even more than he had at first, 
 
 for there was less than fifty feet to go now. 
 
 296
 
 The Unexpected 297 
 
 As he watched the two in the buggy, a thrill of 
 pride went through him. 
 
 His father sat erect and still. His face was pale 
 and set, but there was no vestige of fear about it. 
 One hand clasped the edge of the seat and the other 
 arm was thrown protectingly around his daughter's 
 shoulders. 
 
 As for Sally, she too was pale ; but that was all. 
 She had even forced herself to smile a little, though 
 the corners of her mouth quivered; and she never 
 once looked back. 
 
 As Donald looked at her he gritted his teeth and 
 dug his spurs into the horse. A moment later he 
 had reached the buggy, and foot by foot he worked 
 up. His eyes were fixed upon the horses, but as he 
 passed his father he saw the latter give a start, and 
 Sally uttered a low exclamation of astonishment. 
 Then his fingers closed on the reins with a convul- 
 sive grip. 
 
 At a touch of his knee, Freckles turned, and ex- 
 erting all his strength in one tremendous effort, he 
 managed to pull the horses half-way around. Then, 
 still keeping his hold with one hand, he lashed them
 
 298 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 madly with his quirt and stung them to an even 
 greater speed. 
 
 The cattle were almost upon them. Out of the 
 corner of his eye he could see the line of foam- 
 flecked, tossing heads and wildly-rolling eyes, 
 sweeping forward like a whirlwind, and for one 
 brief instant he had the dreadful feeling that he had 
 been too late. 
 
 There was a last, desperate spurt ; then the quirt 
 fell from his hand and dangled at his wrist, while 
 the line of steers swept past, barely ten feet from the 
 back of the wagon. 
 
 A minute later, with the help of Freckles, he suc- 
 ceeded in pulling down the frightened horses, who 
 presently stood still, covered with foam and dirt, 
 and trembling from head to foot. 
 
 Then he slid off and stood leaning against his 
 horse. For a moment he was so weak that he could 
 scarcely move, but he managed to pull himself to- 
 gether and walked unsteadily around to the side of 
 the wagon, and, without a word, lifted Sally down. 
 
 Her arms went around his neck and she hid her 
 face on his shoulder.
 
 THE CATTLE WERE ALMOST UPON THEM.
 
 The Unexpected 299 
 
 " Don ! oh, Don ! " she sobbed. " To think it was 
 you." 
 
 For a few minutes he stood there, stroking her 
 hair gently. He knew what a relief the tears were 
 after that terrible strain, and besides, he was feeling 
 quite unequal to any words himself. Then he patted 
 her gently on the shoulder. 
 
 " There, old girl," he whispered in her ear, and 
 there was a little catch in his voice. " Don't cry any 
 more. It's all over." 
 
 Presently her sobs ceased, and feeling for her 
 handkerchief, she wiped her eyes. 
 
 " I thought I should never see you again, Don," 
 she said, looking up at him. " Those dreadful, 
 dreadful creatures! I was never so frightened in 
 all my life." 
 
 " Well, I never saw a girl with so much nerve as 
 you have," Donald said admiringly. " You sat 
 there as calm as could be, when most girls would 
 have fainted or gone into hysterics." 
 
 " There wasn't any use. Probably I was too 
 frightened to faint. They were awful." 
 
 Mr. Harrington sat calmly in the buggy, watching
 
 300 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 the two with a quizzical expression on his face. He 
 had nerves of iron, for he showed not the slightest 
 trace of the trying experience he had been through, 
 and he had just lighted a cigar, which he was smok- 
 ing with as much enjoyment as though seated in his 
 office in Wall Street. 
 
 " Well, Don, my boy," he said presently, as he 
 stepped to the ground. " Haven't you got anything 
 to say to me ? " 
 
 Donald started and wheeled quickly around. 
 
 " Of course I have, father," he said eagerly, as 
 their hands met in a firm clasp. " I've done more 
 thinking in the last fifteen minutes than I ever did 
 in my life before. I've been a fool. I was wrong." 
 
 " I'm not so sure of that," his father said slowly. 
 
 He was still holding the boy's hand, and as he 
 spoke the keen eyes, so quick to gage the worth of 
 men in his employ, gazed for the first time compre- 
 hendingly into the clear, honest ones of his only 
 son. 
 
 " You've just done something which not all the 
 colleges or all the books in the world could teach 
 you. I don't know but your way is best, boy. You
 
 The Unexpected 301 
 
 see, I've been doing some tall thinking myself," he 
 added with a smile. 
 
 " Well, we can talk that over some other time," 
 he went on. " The principal thing now is to get 
 back to that house. I feel rather seedy, and I judge 
 from the way your sister is fussing with her hair 
 that she would like to get at her bag." 
 
 " How clever you are, dad, to guess it," Sally re- 
 marked. " That's just what I do want, unless 
 either of you have some hair pins in your pocket. 
 There isn't one left, and I'm a perfect fright." 
 
 " Scarcely that, my dear," Mr. Harrington said. 
 " Strikes me it's rather becoming. Can we patch 
 up the reins, Don, so that they'll hold until we get 
 back to the ranch ? " 
 
 " I think so," Donald said. " I've got a piece 
 of wire in my saddle pocket which will do the 
 trick." 
 
 He was a little bewildered at the bantering be- 
 tween his father and Sally. Things had never been 
 on such a pleasant, familiar footing in the old days, 
 and as he hunted for the wire, he wondered what 
 had brought about such an extraordinary change.
 
 302 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 " What a darling horse," Sally said, coming up 
 behind him. " Is he your own, Don ? " 
 
 " Look out ! " Donald exclaimed in alarm. 
 " Don't touch him : he might bite yo,u." 
 
 " The idea ! " Sally said indignantly. " Of course 
 he won't bite me." And before Donald could stop 
 her she had come up close to Freckles and was 
 gently stroking his soft nose. 
 
 The latter was taken by surprise and didn't seem 
 to know just what to make of her. For a minute 
 his eyes rolled alarmingly, and he pawed the ground 
 nervously. Then, gradually, he calmed down, and 
 in five minutes his head was resting contentedly on 
 the girl's shoulder. " There ! I knew he wouldn't 
 bite," Sally said triumphantly. " I never saw a 
 horse I couldn't make like me." 
 
 " He's the best horse that ever lived," Donald 
 said, patting his neck. " He saved my life not very 
 long ago." 
 
 " The dear thing ! Was he the one who got you 
 away from the fire? " 
 
 " No ; that was another one. Freckles killed a 
 Mexican who was going to stab me."
 
 The Unexpected 303 
 
 " Don ! " Sally exclaimed, in horrified tones. 
 " You never told me that. Why, what an awful 
 place this is ! You're not safe a minute. Do come 
 back home with us, Don." 
 
 " That was something special," Donald went on 
 as he punched a couple of holes in the broken reins 
 and fastened the ends together with wire. " It isn't 
 generally so bad as that. 
 
 "There, father; I guess that will hold for a 
 while," he went on. " Do you know the way 
 back?" 
 
 " I think I can find it : but aren't you coming with 
 ws?" 
 
 " I'd like to awfully," Donald said wistfully. 
 " But you know the fellows will have a lot to do get- 
 ting the steers back, and Bob will want every one to 
 help." 
 
 " Bob ? What's his last name ? " queried Mr. 
 Harrington. 
 
 " Edwards. He's the boss of the outfit," Donald 
 explained. " Here he conies now," he added, as he 
 caught sight of two men riding toward them. " So 
 I guess they've stopped the stampede."
 
 304 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 A few minutes later Bob and Bronco appeared, 
 and at the sight of Sally their hats went off, and 
 Bronco pulled his handkerchief nervously around 
 and started to button his vest. 
 
 " Bob, I'd like you to meet my father," Donald 
 said. " Father, this is Bob Edwards, the ranch 
 boss." 
 
 " I'm glad to meet you, Mr. Edwards," Mr. Har- 
 rington said, as they shook hands. " I have a letter 
 for you from Mr. Harden, whom I saw in Chicago a 
 few days ago." 
 
 " Glad t' know you, sir," Bob replied. " Hope 
 you didn't get much shook up. Kind of a nasty 
 thing, th' rein breakin' that way. I saw th' whole 
 business, but was too far off t' do anythin'. But 
 Pete, here, got you out of it all right." 
 
 At the mention of this name Mr. Harrington 
 looked a little blank, but he made no comment. 
 
 " Yes; we did have a close shave," he said. " But 
 it's all over now. I think we'll go back to the house 
 and I'd like to have my son come with us, if you 
 can spare him." 
 
 Bob had run hastily through the letter.
 
 The Unexpected 305 
 
 " I reckon I can," he said with a smile. " Th' 
 president says t' give you anything you want, an' 
 help you out any way I can. As soon as I get this 
 bunch of steers shipped I'll ride in t' th' ranch, an' 
 we c'n talk over th' other business." 
 
 Meanwhile Donald had taken Bronco over to 
 Sally. 
 
 " Sally, this is my chum Bronco " he started 
 
 out. " Well, I'll be switched if I know what your 
 other name is," he laughed. " I never had any use 
 for it before." 
 
 Bronco flushed a little as he took the girl's 
 hand. 
 
 " I don't guess you need t' bother with it now, if 
 Miss Sally don't mind. It wouldn't sound natural." 
 
 " Of course I don't," Sally said. " I'll call you 
 anything you like, and I'm awfully glad to meet 
 you Bronco." 
 
 " Thank you," Bronco said, and then he went on. 
 " That was great, Pete ! I tell you I was never 
 s' worried in m' life fur fear you wouldn't git there 
 in time. I clean forgot about th' herd, watchin' 
 you, an' when you pulled out uh th' way jest in
 
 306 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 time, you ought t' heard th' yell uh joy me an Bill 
 let out." 
 
 " Wasn't it splendid ! " Sally said enthusiastically. 
 "And you could see it much better than I could. 
 Of course," she added frankly, " I wasn't think- 
 ing about how it looked. I was so frightened I 
 don't believe I thought of anything. Did you stop 
 those dreadful creatures at last?" 
 
 " Yes : we turned 'em about three miles further 
 on. Th' boys are bringin' 'em back now." 
 
 " Mercy ! " Sally exclaimed, looking nervously 
 around. " Bringing them back here ? " 
 
 "They won't come near enough to hurt, an' be- 
 sides they're all over their scare now," Bronco as- 
 sured her. They've got t' be shipped by th' rail- 
 road." 
 
 "Oh " Plainly Sally was not quite satisfied. 
 
 The thought of seeing that herd of steers again, even 
 at a distance, was distinctly unpleasant. 
 
 " Well, Pete," Mr. Harrington remarked, with 
 emphasis on the name and a near approach to a grin 
 on his face, " Bob says he can spare you, so we may 
 as well get started. I'll see you later then, Bob,"
 
 The Unexpected 307 
 
 he went on as he shook hands with the wagon boss. 
 " Come along, Sally." 
 
 Sally got into the buggy with alacrity. The steers 
 were apparently still on her mind. Mr. Harrington 
 followed more leisurely and picked up the reins. 
 Then Donald mounted Freckles, and waving adieu 
 to the two cowboys, who turned in the other direc- 
 tion, they started off for Rita Blanca.
 
 CHAPTER XXIX 
 EXPLANATIONS 
 
 that the excitement is all over," Don- 
 aid said as he rode alongside of the 
 buggy, " perhaps one of you will relieve my curi- 
 osity and tell me how in the world you two come to 
 be here, of all places." 
 
 Mr. Harrington chuckled. 
 
 " It's very simple," he said. " I came to Chicago 
 to negotiate the purchase of some range land for 
 a company I am pretty heavily interested in. 
 Mr. Harden, the principal stockholder of the X L 
 ranch, advised me to look into things personally, 
 and as I needed a change and this minx was pester- 
 ing the life out of me to go to Texas, I just came : 
 that's all." 
 
 " Now, dad," Sally admonished, " tell the whole 
 truth. You wanted to come just about as much as 
 
 I did." 
 
 308
 
 Explanations 309 
 
 " Well, perhaps I did," Mr. Harrington admitted. 
 " I thought I'd like to see how you were making out, 
 Don. It's a long time since you went away, and I 
 knew you wouldn't let us know, even if things didn't 
 come your way." 
 
 " How did you ever know where to find me ? " 
 Don asked curiously. 
 
 Mr. Harrington cast an expressive glance at his 
 daughter. 
 
 " Did you ever know a woman to keep a secret ? " 
 he asked, smiling. 
 
 " Why, the idea, dad," Sally exclaimed indig- 
 nantly, " I never told a word until that day you said 
 you knew where he was, and asked me what sort of 
 a place Channing was, and how to get there." 
 
 " Well, my dear, I'm.not exactly a candidate for a 
 lunatic asylum," her father said banteringly. "And 
 noting the weekly arrival of letters from Channing 
 in your brother's handwriting, I naturally inferred 
 that he was located there permanently. I counted 
 on you to supply the details, which you did very 
 obligingly." 
 
 "Aren't you horrid to wheedle it out of me that
 
 310 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 way," Sally pouted. " I thought you knew all about 
 it, or I shouldn't have said a word." 
 
 " Well, I'm glad that's explained," Donald said. 
 " I couldn't understand it all, and it was a regular 
 knockout blow to suddenly come upon you when I 
 hadn't the most remote idea that either of you were 
 within a thousand miles of here. By-the-bye, 
 Sally," he went on, "what in the mischief are Elsie 
 Kingdon and Katherine Travers doing around 
 here?" 
 
 "Katherine!" Sally shrieked. "Where in the 
 world did you see her ; or are you fooling ? " 
 
 " No, I'm not. It's straight goods. She and Elsie 
 came out to our camp about a week ago." 
 
 "What did she say? Why are they here?" 
 Sally asked with much interest. " To think that I 
 missed them." 
 
 "They didn't say anything to me," Donald said 
 with a reminiscent grin. " They spent most of the 
 time commenting on how dirty I was, and how much 
 I needed a bath, and wondering how I came to look 
 so much like your brother. They didn't recognize 
 me, you see," he explained.
 
 Explanations 3 1 1 
 
 "How perfectly hateful of them!" Sally said 
 hotly. " I can't understand it. Elsie might ; she's 
 an awful cat sometimes; but Katherine " 
 
 " Oh, Katherine was all right ; it was mostly 
 Elsie. Besides, I don't blame them for not knowing 
 me. I looked pretty fierce that day." 
 
 " Well, I can't think what they are here for," 
 Sally said with a puzzled frown. " Can you, 
 dad?" 
 
 " Who are you talking about," Mr. Harrington 
 inquired absently. 
 
 " Katherine Travers and Elsie Kingdon. Don 
 says they came out to his camp a week ago." 
 
 " Very likely they are with Mr. Kingdon. He 
 was to meet me here to-morrow about this matter 
 of purchasing land, and he probably brought the 
 girls along." 
 
 "How perfect!" Sally exclaimed. "Then I 
 shall see them after all. I wonder where they were 
 this morning." 
 
 When they reached the ranch house inquiry re- 
 vealed the fact that Mr. Kingdon, with a friend and 
 the two young ladies, had spent a night there more
 
 312 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 than a week ago, and had departed early the next 
 morning on a short trip into New Mexico, leaving 
 word that they expected to return in a few days. 
 
 So Sally was obliged to possess her soul in pa- 
 tience until her friends appeared, and in the mean- 
 time she sought the seclusion of her room to repair 
 damages. 
 
 Don went over to the bunk house to wash up, and 
 when he returned his sister was waiting for him. 
 She was eager to hear everything which had hap- 
 pened to him, and even made him tell over again 
 the things he had written about. They were con- 
 sequently still deep in conversation when, about five 
 o'clock, they heard the sounds of wheels outside, and 
 a moment later the door opened and several people 
 entered. 
 
 There was a simultaneous shriek of surprise as 
 Sally flew toward them, followed by fervent em- 
 braces and excited talking from all at once. Don 
 had withdrawn to the window, and stood with his 
 back toward them, taking it all in with more or less 
 enjoyment. 
 
 "And you only came this morning," he heard
 
 Explanations 313 
 
 Elsie say, after the excitement had subsided a little. 
 " You ought to be thankful. My dear, such a week 
 as we've had I never hope to go through again. I'm 
 worn to a shadow." 
 
 " It hasn't been so bad, Elsie," Katherine ob- 
 jected. " Of course, there's a great deal of dust, 
 and the wagon was uncomfortable, and the food 
 isn't Delmonico's ; but everything is so new and fas- 
 cinating, and I've enjoyed myself tremendously." 
 
 " You'd enjoy anything," Elsie said rather 
 crossly as she patted her hair into place. " Why, 
 you even liked that awful burning letters on those 
 idiotic calves out in the pen. You have no idea, 
 Sally, how disgusting " 
 
 She stopped suddenly and flushed scarlet. At that 
 moment Don turned around, and as she looked into 
 his laughing eyes, she wished she could sink through 
 the floor. 
 
 " Hello, girls ! " he said gaily, as he walked 
 over to them. " So you don't like life on a Texas 
 ranch." 
 
 " Why, Don Harrington ! " Katherine exclaimed. 
 "Where on earth did you come from?" Then a
 
 3 14 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 light seemed to break upon her. " For goodness 
 sake ! " she gasped. " It ivas you, then." 
 
 " It sure was," Don replied with a grin. " Maybe 
 you don't want to shake hands with me." 
 
 " How silly you are ! " Elsie said, as she recov- 
 ered her composure and took his outstretched hand. 
 " But you must admit it was a little startling to 
 
 find well, to know Oh, how do you do, Mr. 
 
 Harrington ? " 
 
 The latter's appearance was most opportune. 
 Elsie seized his hand much as though it was a life 
 preserver, and the situation was saved. 
 
 When they sat down to the supper table a little 
 later, they had everything to themselves and made 
 a very merry party. The girls had an incredible 
 number of things to tell each other, but by dint of 
 all talking at once and doing it fast, they compressed 
 a great deal of information into a short period of 
 time, and before the meal was over each one had 
 acquired a fairly accurate knowledge of what had 
 happened to the others since they had last met. 
 
 They had scarcely finished when Bob arrived, and 
 having taken a hasty bite, he joined Mr. Harrington,
 
 Explanations 315 
 
 Mr. Kingdon, and Donald in the office of the ranch 
 house. The former at once got down to business. 
 
 " Some friends and myself have formed a com- 
 pany to purchase ranch property," he said as he lit 
 his cigar. " I was advised to buy this ranch if I 
 
 * 
 
 could, but Mr. Harden tells me it isn't in the mar- 
 ket, so that's out of the question. He says, how- 
 ever, that there are several other desirable proper- 
 ties in this part of Texas which can be bought, and 
 advised me to consult with you as to the best ones." 
 
 " I see," Bob said thoughtfully. "About how big 
 a ranch were you thinking of ? " 
 
 " We had in mind one roughly the size of this 
 one," Mr. Harrington replied. 
 
 " There ain't any as big as this around here, but 
 you could buy two or three, an' combine 'em. You'll 
 want to run all under one management, I 'spose." 
 
 " That would be the most economical way, 
 wouldn't it?" 
 
 " Sure. You get better results. Well, the Lazy 
 X outfit's the next best one to this. They've got 
 about four hundred thousand acres just south of the 
 Canadian, an' I reckon you could buy that. South
 
 316 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 of them is the J. K. outfit, which ain't quite so big. 
 Don't know whether it's in the market or not : fel- 
 low from Austin owns it. There's a couple of small 
 outfits join them two on the east, an' if you could 
 get the four of 'em you'd have a place about as big 
 as this, an' better land." 
 
 Mr. Harrington was silent for a moment. 
 
 " How long would it take us to look over this 
 property?" he asked presently. 
 
 " Couple of days. Want me to go with you ? " 
 
 " I'd be obliged if you could," Mr. Harrington 
 said. " It would make things easier for us. Can 
 we start to-morrow ? " 
 
 " I reckon so. Th' boys have got enough t' keep 
 'em busy for awhile." 
 
 Consequently, the next morning the four started 
 southward. A couple of gentle horses had been 
 saddled up for the two Easterners, while Donald, 
 who went along at his father's request, rode 
 Freckles. Mr. Kingdon's brother stayed behind 
 with the girls. 
 
 They were back late on the following day, having 
 satisfactorily inspected the four ranches, and Mr.
 
 Explanations 317 
 
 Harrington was much pleased with the result. The 
 properties in question were so situated that they 
 could very easily be thrown into one, and he at once 
 telegraphed his agents to see if they could make 
 the purchase, and at what terms.
 
 CHAPTER XXX 
 "S'LONG" 
 
 A?TER supper Don and his father strolled 
 slowly away from the house along the trail. 
 
 " Well, Don ; do you think you could manage a 
 ranch such as that will be? " the latter asked, after 
 a short period of silence. 
 
 Donald did not answer at once. 
 
 " I don't believe I could just yet," he said pres- 
 ently. " That is, and do it right. You see, father, 
 I'm still pretty green, and there's a whole lot I don't 
 know about the cattle business. Of course, I should 
 be perfectly willing to try it, but I might make a 
 botch of the thing. If I'd had a couple of years 
 more of experience it would be different." 
 
 Mr. Harrington puffed leisurely on his cigar. 
 
 " How do you feel about all this sort of thing? " 
 he asked suddenly. " Do you like it well enough to 
 make it your life work, or would you get tired of it 
 
 in a year or so ? " 
 
 318
 
 "S'long" 319 
 
 They had stopped walking and stood on the edge 
 of the plateau, looking down upon the valley through 
 which the stream ran. The sun had dropped out of 
 sight, leaving the western sky a riot of crimson and 
 gold. In the valley below the purple shadows had 
 begun to deepen, and intensified by their very con- 
 trast the silvery glitter of the stream as it wound in 
 and out among the rocks. 
 
 Straight ahead they could see for miles across the 
 rolling prairie. The breeze had died down and it 
 was still; and as the gray, mysterious twilight be- 
 gan slowly to creep up, enfolding the edges of the 
 plain and changing the perspective with each suc- 
 ceeding moment, that prairie seemed to Donald not 
 a dull, monotonous expanse, but a thing of wonder- 
 ful, illusive charm; palpitating with life; unfathom- 
 able in its mystery, and yet having about it some- 
 thing intimate and familiar; something that he knew 
 and loved in every one of its varied moods, and 
 which fascinated him more than words could express. 
 
 He drew a quick, sharp breath. 
 
 " I should never tire of it," he said simply. 
 
 " I don't believe you would," his father said. He
 
 320 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 had been watching the boy's face, in which the play 
 of his emotions was almost as clear as the con- 
 stantly changing panorama of nature about them. 
 " And I can understand the fascination of it," he 
 went on. " Personally, I should stagnate here ; but 
 the difference between us is only comparative. In 
 order to exist I must have obstacles to overcome; 
 opposition to vanquish; difficulties and dangers to 
 calculate a way out of; but it is all mental. You 
 have exactly the same outlook upon life, except that 
 its expression is physical. You could no more en- 
 gineer a deal in stocks than I could break one of 
 your broncos, but the fundamental principle is the 
 same. You see, we are very much alike after all, boy." 
 
 Donald looked at his father with a quick smile. 
 
 " You do understand a fellow, dad," he said. 
 " That's exactly the way I feel." 
 
 " It's about time I did, Don," Mr. Harrington 
 said, and a slight shadow crossed his face. Then he 
 went on: 
 
 " Suppose we try this scheme. Before you finally 
 commit yourself to cow-punching, suppose you have 
 one more taste of the old life. Come home and
 
 "S'long" 321 
 
 spend the summer with Sally and me. Then, in the 
 fall, if you still feel that ' call of the plains ' in 
 your blood, you can come back. By that time we 
 shall probably have purchased and combined these 
 ranches, and you can start in there to absord knowl- 
 edge with the idea of ultimately running it for the 
 company. How does that strike you?" 
 
 " It's bully, dad," Donald said enthusiastically. 
 " It's more than I ever hoped for, or deserved, and 
 I agree to it with all my heart." 
 
 " Good ! " said his father, as their hands met in a 
 hearty clasp. " We'll consider that settled, then. And 
 that being the case, suppose we go back to the house." 
 
 Next morning Donald came upon Bob on the 
 porch of the bunk house, and at once told him of 
 his early departure from the ranch. 
 
 " I ain't surprised," the latter said. " I kind uh 
 thought you'd be goin', an' I'm darned sorry to lose 
 you, Pete. You're just about gettin' to be a lot of 
 use to me, an' besides, I like you a whole lot, an' so 
 do the boys. Comin' back? " 
 
 " I sure am," Donald said quickly. " I couldn't 
 stay away very long."
 
 322 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 " That's good," Bob said approvingly. " Well, 
 you'll want t' run out an' see th' boys, I reckon. 
 They're 'bout half-way between here an' Poloma. 
 You can make it in a couple of hours." 
 
 " I guess I'll ride out this morning. Oh, by-the- 
 way, Bob; I want to buy Freckles." 
 
 " Hm ! You do ? " Bob scratched his head. " We 
 ain't supposed to sell any of the horses unless they're 
 condemned." There was a moment's pause. " Now 
 if it was your father that wanted him," he sug- 
 gested with a grin. " Mr. Harden says I was to give 
 him anything he wanted." 
 
 " Well, that's what it will amount to," Donald 
 said, laughing. " He'll do the paying." 
 
 " I reckon it'll be all right, then. Cost you 
 about fifty dollars; he's a good horse, you 
 know." 
 
 " I certainly do. That's why I want him." 
 
 Directly after breakfast Donald saddled up and 
 started for camp. He found it easily enough and 
 rode in just in time for dinner. When he announced 
 his early departure, there was a universal protest, 
 in which even Heiny joined, and they all begged him
 
 "S'long" 323 
 
 to reconsider, and stay a while longer. This was, 
 of course, impossible, and when they found that he 
 couldn't be moved, they had to content themselves 
 with his promise to return in the fall. 
 
 He did not tell them that he might not come back 
 to the X L outfit. His father did not want the 
 project generally known, and besides, if he were 
 located on the Lazy X ranch, he would see almost 
 as much of the fellows as before. 
 
 He stayed a couple of hours after dinner, and 
 then, bidding them good-by all around, he started 
 back, accompanied by Bronco, who was to ride part 
 of the way with him. 
 
 As soon as they were well out of camp, Donald 
 unfolded his plans to the latter, who was much inter- 
 ested. 
 
 " Say ; that'll be great, won't it ? " he exclaimed 
 enthusiastically. " I reckon I c'n get a job with th' 
 Lazy X's all right. Let me know as soon's you're 
 thinkin' uh comin' back, an' I'll pull up stakes here 
 an' make a bee-line south." 
 
 " Bully for you ! I was wondering if you 
 wouldn't come along, too. I'll write you every week,
 
 324 Pete, Cow-Puncher 
 
 and you must answer the letters. That way you'll 
 know when to make a move." 
 
 " I sure will," Bronco answered. " Well, I reckon 
 I'll get started back," he added, as they pulled up at 
 the edge of the breaks. " I'm blamed sorry t' have 
 you go, Pete. We've been pretty good pals, an' I 
 don't jest know what I'll do with m'self with you 
 away. Lucky it ain't for long ; them two months '11 
 go before we know it. I ain't goin' t' say good- 
 by," he went on, holding out his hand. " I hate 
 say in' good-by; it always seems sort of long an' 
 unpleasant." 
 
 " Don't say it, then," Donald said, as he gripped 
 his hand. " It really isn't good-by, you know." 
 
 " I know it ain't." He wheeled his horse around 
 and started off at a canter. A moment later he 
 turned in his saddle, and pulling off his hat, waved 
 it at Donald. 
 
 " S'long, Pete," he yelled. " See you soon." 
 
 THE END
 
 By JOSEPH B. AMES 
 
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 script. 
 
 Henry Holt and Company 
 
 Publbhers (viii '06) Ncw Yorlc
 
 By MARION A. TAGGART 
 
 AUTHOR OF " THE LITTLE GREY HOUSE," " MISS LOCHINVAR," ETC. 
 
 Two Stories for Young Folks 
 DADDY'S DAUGHTERS 
 
 Illustrated by G. W. BRECK. $1.50 
 
 "Daddy," an admirable, patient, "literary" man, 
 who, like many of his kind, finds it a trifle hard to make 
 both ends meet, and four girls, his daughters, are dis- 
 tinctly individualized. More girls live on the other 
 side of Daddy's garden hedge and have three jolly 
 brothers. Their adventures and home life make a book 
 full of natural, lively young folks and their doings, yet 
 tinged throughout with the delicate refinement of the 
 sympathy between the artistic father and his girls. 
 
 " A lot of sound, hearty children provide the proper sort of 
 fun."-JV. Y. Sun. 
 
 " Miss Taggart's pleasant story is admirably adapted, not only 
 to the tastes but also to the needs of young girls. May be heartily 
 commended." Providence Journal. 
 
 NUT BROWN JOAN 
 
 With frontispiece and decorations by BLANCHE OSTERTAG 
 
 #1.50 
 
 Joan is an energetic, lovable girl, who has all the 
 fun and most of the tro ubles of a member of a large 
 family. Her experiences, when the cares of a house- 
 hold fall on her shoulders, will strongly appeal to any 
 girl's housekeeping instincts ; while her love of fun, 
 and especially her friendships, will find sympathetic re- 
 sponse in the hearts of older boys and girls. 
 
 "A wholesome and pretty story of a family of young people 
 not the least attractive of whom is their ugly duckling, Nut 
 Brown Joan. Her pleasant fellowship with a boy nicknamed 
 Darby is one of the nice things in this little homely history." 
 Outlook. 
 
 " A story for older girls, well worth while, and one which it 
 will be well to bear in mind for a gift at the holiday season." 
 Brooklyn Eagle. 
 
 Henry Holt and Company 
 
 Publishers liv, '07) New York
 
 STIRRING MYSTERY STORIES 
 
 ANGEL ESQUIRE 
 
 By EDGAB WALLACE. 12mo, $1.50. 
 
 A rattling good detective story in which an inexperienced girl 
 has to contend with three unscrupulous and daring criminals for 
 millions strangely bequeathed to one of the four. 
 
 "Inspiring originality. Mr. Edgar Wallace has achieved the impossible. 
 He has written a detective story having for its hero a type absolutely new. 
 Moreover, to make his book completely fascinating, he puts before his hero 
 a problem of refreshing fantasticality. The story grows breathlessly excit- 
 ing. Through its thrilling developments, Angel Ksquire moves with an airy 
 aplomb that is irresistible. All the time he is smiling, full of quaintuess 
 and humor." N. Y. Tribune. 
 
 By BURTON E. STEVENSON 
 THAT AFFAIR AT ELIZABETH 
 
 Another story in which Lester, the young lawyer, and Godfrey, 
 the reporter, play the part of detectives in unraveling a modern 
 mystery. $1.50. 
 
 " A well-constructed detective story . . . surround ing the disappearance 
 of a bride a few minutes before the hour set for her wedding. A murder is 
 committed at about the time of her vanishing, and the two stories are vig- 
 orously interwoven, being worked out to a surprising conclusion." 
 Chicago Post. 
 
 " Starts with a capital situation. . . . The reader is utterly unable to 
 guess at the secret.' 1 ^. Y. Tribune. 
 
 THE MARATHON MYSTERY 
 
 The story of a strange happening in a New York apartment 
 house, and at a Long Island house party. The plot is unusual, 
 full of surprises; the handling is masterful. It has been repub- 
 lished in England and Germany. With five scenes in color by 
 ELIOT KEEN. $1.50. 
 
 "The author ha* stepped at once to the front ranks among American 
 writers of detective tales ... a yarn with genuine thrills." Bookman. 
 
 " Distinctly an interesting story one of the sort that the reader will not 
 lay down before he goes to bed." New York Sun. 
 
 THE HOLLADAY CASE 
 
 This remarkable story begins with the finding of a New York 
 banker stabbed to death in his office. Suspicion falls on his 
 daughter. A kidnapping and pursuit over seas follow. The 
 story contains a minimum of horror and a maximum of ingenu- 
 ity, and the mystery is kept up to the next [to last chapter. 
 With frontispiece by ELIOT KEEN. $1.25. 
 
 " A good detective story, and it is the better because the part of the hero 
 is not filled by a member of the profession. . . . The reader will not want 
 to out the book down until be has reached the last 
 constru 
 
 t the book down until he has reached the last page. Most ingeniously 
 ructed and well written into the bargain." N. Y. Tribune. 
 
 HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY 
 
 PUBLISHERS NEW YORK
 
 STANDARD CYCLOPAEDIAS FOR YOUNG OR OLD 
 
 CHAMPLIN'S 
 
 YOUNG FOLKS' CYCLOPAEDIAS 
 
 By JOHN D. CHAMPLIN 
 
 Late Associate Editor of the American Cyclopadia 
 Bound in substantial red buckram. Each volume complete 
 in itself and sold separately. I2mo, $3.00 per volume, retail 
 
 COMMON THINGS 
 
 New, Enlarged Edition, 850 pp. Profusely Illustrated 
 
 "A book which will be of permanent value to any boy or girl to 
 whom it may be given, and which fills a place in the juvenile library, 
 never, so far as I know, supplied before." Susan Coolidge, 
 
 PERSONS AND PLACES 
 
 New, Up-to-Date Edition, 985 pp. Over 3 75 Illustrations 
 " We know copies of the work to which their young owners turn 
 instantly for information upon every theme about which they have 
 questions to ask. More than this, we know that some of these copies 
 are read daily, as well as consulted ; that their owners turn the leaves 
 as they might those of a fairy book, reading intently articles of which 
 they had not thought before seeing them, and treating the book simply 
 as one capable of furnishing the rarest entertainment in ezhaustless 
 quantities." N. Y. Evening Post. 
 
 LITERATURE AND ART 
 
 604 pp. 270 Illustrations 
 
 *' Few poems, plays.'novels, pictures, statues, or fictitious characters 
 that children or most of their parents of our day are likely to inquire 
 about will be missed here. Mr. Champlin's judgment seems unusually 
 sound. 1 ' The Nation. 
 
 GAMES AND SPORTS 
 
 By JOHN D. CHAMPLIN and ARTHUR BOSTWICK 
 Revised Edition, 784 pp. 900 Illustrations 
 
 " Should form a part of every juvenile library, whether public Of 
 private." The Independent. 
 
 NATURAL HISTORY 
 
 By JOHN D. CHAMPLIN, assisted by FREDERICK A. LUCAS 
 725 pp. Over 800 Illustrations 
 
 "Here, in compact and attractive form, is valuable and reliable in- 
 formation on every phase of natural history, on every item of interest 
 to the student. Invaluable to the teacher and school, and should be on 
 every teacher's desk for ready reference, and the children should be 
 taught to go to this volume for information useful and interesting." 
 Journal of Education. 
 
 HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY 
 
 NEW YORK (ii, \*) CHICAGO
 
 University of California 
 
 SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 
 
 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024-1388 
 
 Return this material to the library 
 
 from which it was borrowed.
 
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