direction indicated by Dave Carson. The two cow-ponies, evidently glad of the

her-or both," Pe

repeated Dave. "

o specks there, D

er than were those of the foreman of Bar U ranch, but Dave lacke

outh finally said, "But I

. "We'll ride a little nearer," he suggested, "an' then we can te

mean our strays; don't

remember, Dave, that there's a point of land belongin' t' Centre O ranch that c

t, Pete. There's more to this bus

ear it would knock out your natural instincts. But when you picked up that man as soon as you did," and he waved hi

, Pete!" and

h th' Old Man at first,"

dn't make a

a term of disrespect as applied to the ranch owner. It was perfe

continued on their way up the trail. "I was mighty lonesome at firs

ave. There wasn't room

felt. Out here i

in, so free from mists, that the very distances were deceiving, and one would have been positive that the dista

make them out a little better now, Dave," and he nodded his head in

, and he's going in the

ter a moment'

t every cowpuncher on Bar

y, there are half a doz

O outfit has strayed, same as ours. That's probably

k across the middle) adjoined, on the north, the ranch of Jason Molick, whose cattle were marked with

ted Dave, naming the son o

t be, though. Len doesn't always know h

e. I haven't much

some little frac

, more t

per, too; didn't you Dave?" aske

of his achievement. "But that was some time

missed an awful lot

themselves, by reason of the closing up of the intervening distance, until they could be easily distingui

f him?" asked Dave, after a

"It's Len Molick all right," he added, aft

sure?" Da

here rides a horse in t

of his father's strays, and

sure of that

sure o

surprised but what some of ours had got mixed up with '

think--"

any chances thinkin',"

ng to ma

an fresh an' Len's doesn't seem to be in such good condition. Probably he's been abusin' it as he's d

climb up around

cattle-by mistake," said Pete, significantly, "we'll be in a position to correct his error. Nothi

ehind him, as I'm doing now, and

why we're all right; we're up this way to look after our strays. And if

ith a wave of his hand, turned his horse into a different trail, s

fore him. Len Molick was about Dave's own age, that is apparently, for, strange as it m

g need of a razor, and the hair on his face was becoming wiry. But once, when he ask

e she died, kept track of that. In fact I sometimes forget when my own is. I think yours is in May or

pecially. But ju

r kept track of that, too. I never had the time. Put it down at eighteen, going on n

e gave the matter much thought, only now, somehow or o

irthday is," he mused. "But then l

close to Len, who was driving ahead of him a number of cattle. W

Len," he

ither he had not heard Dave appro

n want?" demanded

lly. "Guess your cattle and ours have struck up an

do you

ong together just as if they

your cows tag along with our st

h can't afford to lose any strays these days," he resumed. "The Carson outfit needs all it can get, and, as re

ght have you

me to gather up our strays. I sa

sneer in Len's voic

dering what was the matter with

d you aren't his son! You're a nameless picked-up nobody,

his lips Len spurred hi