"Never heard of them," Dave said. "They don't deal in cattle; do they?"

"No, they hope to deal in water; that is later on. But I'll go into
details after a bit."

"Pardon me, Mr. Bellmore!" burst out Dave. "Here I am keeping you talking,
when I ought to be looking for your animal, and helping you to our ranch.
I don't know what's got into me. But I just had some trouble with a bunch
of our cattle, and I guess I'm thinking of that yet.

"I was on my way to the ranch to get help, when I took this short cut and
heard you call. I'll go and see if I can find your horse. If I can't we'll
use mine, and I can walk. It won't be the first time, though we
cowpunchers are more used to a saddle than we are to our own legs."

He gave Mr. Bellmore another drink from the canteen, and then seeing that
the man was as comfortable as possible under the circumstances, went back
to the trail to look for the missing horse. Dave saw his own steed
contentedly munching some of the scanty herbage, &and, speaking to him,
passed on.

Reaching a point where he could look down into the valley below, Dave
peered long and earnestly for a sight of a riderless horse. To his delight
he saw the animal almost at once.

"Well, you didn't run far," he murmured, "and if you don't get a tantrum,
and gallop off when I come up, I'll soon have you."

Going back to where he had left Mr. Bellmore, Dave reported: