growled defiantly; "but I just got to say somethin'; I ain't
meanin' no disrespect to God 'lmighty, and I reckon He ought to
know it; but--" he broke forth again.

Pete drew back in alarm. "Look your trouble in the face, lad,"
said the shepherd; "don't let it get you down like this."

"Look it in the face!" roared the other. "Good God! that's just
it! ain't I a lookin' it in the face every day? You don't know
about it, Dad. If you did, you--you'd cuss too." He started in
again.

"I know more than you think, Grant," said the other, when the big
fellow had stopped swearing to get his breath. While he spoke, the
shepherd was looking away along the Old Trail. "There comes your
trouble now," he added, pointing to a girl on a brown pony, coming
slowly out of the timber near the deer lick. The young man made no
reply. Pete, at sight of the girl, started to his feet, but the
big fellow pulled him down again, and made the boy understand that
he must not betray their position.

When Sammy reached the sheep, she checked her pony, and searched
the hillside with her eyes, while her clear call went over the
mountain, "Oh--h--h--Dad!"

Young Matt shook his head savagely at his companion, and even
Brave was held silent by a low "Be still" from his master.

Again Sammy looked carefully on every side, but lying on the
higher ground, and partly hidden by the trees, the little group