to the ranch."

"I'm not so sure of that," Pete said.

"Not so sure of what?"

"That the cattle are all his strays. I wouldn't be a bit surprised but
what some of ours had got mixed up with 'em. Things like that have been
known to happen you know."

"Do you' think---" began Dave.

"I'm not goin' to take any chances thinkin'," Pete said significantly.
"I'm going to make sure."

"Look here, Dave," he went on, spurring his pony up alongside of the young
cowboy's. "My horse is good an fresh an' Len's doesn't seem to be in such
good condition. Probably he's been abusin' it as he's done before. Now I
can take this side trail, slip around through the bottom lands, an' get
ahead of him."

"But it's a hard climb up around the mesa, Pete."

"I know it. But I can manage it. Then you come on up behind Len, casual
like. If he has any of our cattle--by mistake," said Pete, significantly,
"we'll be in a position to correct his error. Nothin' like correctin'
errors right off the reel, Dave. Well have him between two fires, so to
speak."

"All right, Pete. I'll ride up behind him, as I'm doing now, and you'll