the alfalfa, Uncle Frank arrived at the house just as Cheyenne and
Dorothy rode up. Little Jim was excitedly endeavoring to explain to Aunt
Jane how the corral came to be filled with strange horses.

Uncle Frank nodded to Cheyenne and turned to Jimmy. "Where you been?"

"I was over on the mountain."

"How did these horses get here?"

Uncle Frank's eye was stern. Jimmy hesitated. He had been forbidden to
go near Sneed's place; and he knew that all that stood between a harness
strap and his small jeans was the presence of Dorothy and Cheyenne. It
was pretty tough to have recovered the stolen horses single-handed, and
then to take a licking for it.

Little Jim gazed hopefully at his father.

"Why, I was chousin' around up there," he explained, "and I seen dad's
hosses, and--and I started 'em down the trail and the whole blame bunch
followed 'em. They was travelin' so fast I couldn't cut 'em out, so I
just let 'em drift. Filaree and Josh just nacherally headed for the
corral and the rest followed 'em in."

Uncle Frank gazed sternly at Jimmy. "Who told you to help your father
get his horses?"

"Nobody."

"Did your Aunt Jane tell you you could go over to the mountain?"