going to do; he had settled that the night before, with the memory of Miss
Conroy's eyes fresh in his mind.

"I got him in a deal across the line," he said. "I was told he came from
east Oregon. But last night, when he piloted us straight to your corral
gate, I guessed he'd been here before. He's yours, all right, if you say
so."

"Uh course he ain't worth such a pile uh money, apologized Rodway, "but the
kids thought a heap of him. I'd rather locate some of the horses that was
with him--or the man yuh got him of. They was some mighty good horses run
out uh this country then, but they was all out on the range, so we didn't
miss 'em in time to do any good. Do yu know who took 'em across the line?"

"No," said Rowdy deliberately. "The man I got Chub from went north, and I
heard he got killed. I don't know of any other in the deal."

Rodway grunted, and Vaughan began vigorously brushing Dixie's roughened
coat. "If you don't mind," he said, after a minute, "I'd like to borrow Chub
to pack my bed over to the Cross L. I can bring him back again."

"Why, sure!" assented Rodway eagerly. "I hate to take him from yuh, but the
kids--"

"Oh, that's all right," interrupted Rowdy cheerfully. "It's all in the game,
and I should 'a' looked up his pedigree, for I knew--. Anyway, was worth the
price of him to have him along last night. We'd have milled around till
daylight, I guess, only for him."

"That's what," agreed Rodway. "Jessie's horse is one she brought from home