em down."

Loud indeed were the commendations showered upon Pan's plan.

Blinky, who alone had not voiced his approval, cast an admiring eye
upon Pan.

"Shore I've got dobe mud in my haid fer brains," he said, with disgust.
"Simple as apple pie, an' I never onct thought of ketchin' wild hosses
thet a way."

"Blink, that's because you never figured on a wholesale catch," replied
Pan. "Moonshining wild horses, as you called it, and roping, and
creasing with a rifle bullet, never answered for numbers. It wouldn't
pay us to try those methods. We want at least a thousand head in one
drive."

"Aw! Aw! Pan, don't work my hopes to believin' thet," implored
Blinky, throwing up his hands.

"Son, I'm cryin' for mercy too," added Pan's father. "An' I'm goin' to
turn in on that one."

Lying Juan, either from design or accident, found this an admirable
opening.

"My father was big Don in Mexico. He hada tree tousand _vacqueros_ on
our rancho. We chase wild horse many days, more horse than I ever see
on my life. I helpa lass more horse than I ever see on my life. I
make tree tousand peso by my father's rancho."

"Juan, I pass," declared Pan. "You've got my hand beat. Boys, let's
unroll the tarps. It has been a sure enough riding day."

CHAPTER TWELVE

Pan's father was an early riser, and next morning he routed everybody
out before the clear white morning star had gone down in the velvet
blue sky.

Before breakfast, while the others were wrangling horses, packing wood
and water, he climbed the steep end of the bluff between camp and the
valley. Upon his return he was so excited over the number of wild
horses which he claimed to have seen that Pan feared he had fallen
victim to Lying Juan's malady.

"I hope Dad's not loco," said Pan. "But our luck is running heavy.
Let's play it for all we're worth. I'll climb that bluff, too, and see
for myself. Then we'll ride out into the valley, get the lay of the
land, and find the best place for our trap."

Blinky accompanied Pan to the ridge which they climbed at a point
opposite camp. Probably it was four or five hundred feet high, and
provided a splendid prospect of the valley. Pan could scarcely believe
his eyes. He saw wild horses--so many that for the time being he
forgot the other important details. He counted thirty bands in a
section of the valley no more than fifteen miles long and less than
half as wide. These were individual bands, keepin