Whooping, yelling, waving his hat and shooting, Dave took after the
escaping steers.

"Oh for one man to help," he cried aloud, and it seemed as if his cry was
answered. For, riding toward him, and toward the bunch of stampeded
cattle, he descried a figure that made his heart leap with joy.

"Pocus Pete!" he cried. "Now we'll get you beasts back!"

And indeed it was the efficient foreman of Bar U ranch who rode up at top
speed, his hat off, his revolver spitting fire, and his horse lending
itself to the game with all its energies.

"Off to the left, Dave! Bear off to the left!" yelled Pete, indicating
that his friend was to head in that direction. Pete himself took the
right, and a moment later the two were riding along the front of the
steers who were not running so fast now, being somewhat exhausted.

The object of Pete, seconded by Dave, was to turn the stream of cattle--to
swing around the front ranks, and so bring those in the rear to a halt.

Often in a cattle stampede the front rank becomes exhausted, and the
animals in it would willingly give up and cease running, but there is an
irresistible pressure from those in the rear. And if those in front stop
they know they will be trampled under foot. So they must keep on or be
killed.

This bunch, however, was comparatively small, and easy to handle. Soon,
with the help of Pete, Dave had brought the animals down to a walk, and
then it was an easy matter to turn them and drive them back toward the