old a thousand horses. One third of it was
fenced by the bluff.

Two more days were required to build the second blind corral, which was
larger, and though it opened from the first it did not run along the
bluff. As this one was intended for chasing and roping horses, as well
as simply holding them, the fence was made an almost impenetrable mass
of thick foliaged cedars reinforced, where necessary, with stuffings of
scrub-oak brush. Pan was so particular that he tried to construct a
barrier which did not have sharp projecting spikes of dead branches
sticking out to cut a horse.

"By gum, I shore don't believe you ever was a regular cowpuncher,"
declared Blinky testily, after having been ordered to do additional
labor on a portion of the fence.

"Blink, we're dealing with horses, not cows," answered Pan.

"But, good Lord, man, a cow is as feelin' as a hoss any day," protested
Blinky.

"You'll be swearing you love cows next," laughed Pan. "Nope. We'll do
our work well. Then the chances are we won't spike any of those
thoroughbreds we want to break for Arizona."

"Say, I'll bet two bits you won't let us sell a single gosh-darned
broomie," added Blinky.

"Go to bed, Blink," rejoined Pan, in pretended compassion. "You're all
in. This isn't moonshining wild horses."

In the succeeding days Pan paced up the work, from dawn until dark. A
week more saw the long fence completed. It was an obstacle few horses
could leap. Pan thought he would love to see the stallion that could
do it.

Following the completion of the fence, they built a barrier across the
wash. And then to make doubly sure Pan divided his party into three
couples, each with instructions to close all possible exits along the
branches of the wash, and the sides of the slope.

During the latter part of this work, the bands of wild horses moved
farther westward. But as far as Pan could tell, none left the valley.
They had appeared curious and wary, then had moved out of sight over
the ridges in the center of the great oval.

The night that they finished, with two weeks of unremitting toil in
dust and heat behind them, was one for explosive satisfaction.

"Fellars, my pard Panhandle is one to tie to," declared Blinky, "but
excoose me from ridin' any range where he was foreman."

"Blink, you'll soon be cowboy, foreman, boss--the whole outfit on your
own Arizona ranch."

"Pard, I'll shore drink to thet, if anybody's got any licker."

If