p arrived on the range with a
trail herd of cattle from Texas. Their brand was an O X, a new one to
Pan. He kept a record of all the brands he had seen, and practiced
drawing them on paper. Moore and three of his cowboys came to board at
Pan's home, and kept their string of horses there. Pan's cup was full.
The days flew by. Snow and cold were nothing to him. Not even study,
and the ever-malicious Dick Hardman could daunt his spirit. Moore
meant to winter his herd there, and wait for spring before he drove it
farther north.

The cowboys' nickname for Moore was Pug, and another fellow whose real
name Pan never heard was called Slats. They taught Pan all the cowboy
songs from "Ti yi oop oop ya ya" to "Bury me on the Lone Prairie."
Every night Pan listened to them sing by the fire in their bunkhouse,
and many times he had to be called to do his chores.

Another of the cowboys was called Hookey. His nose resembled that of a
parrot and he had the disposition of a locoed coyote, according to Pug
and Slats. Hookey took a dislike to Pan, and always sought to arouse
the boy's temper. These cowboys were always gone in the morning before
Pan got up, but by the time he arrived home from school on Pilldarlick
they were usually there.

Slats, who wanted to be a lady killer, would say: "Wal, Button, what
did your school marm say about me today?" And Hookey would make fun of
Pilldarlick, which ridicule had more power to hurt Pan than anything
else. One day Pan gave way to fury, and with flying rocks he chased
Hookey into the cellar, and every time Hookey poked up his head Pan
would fling a stone with menacing accuracy. That time his mother came
to the rescue of the cowboy. After that Hookey bought a new saddle and
gave Pan his old one. That settled hostilities. Pan had a change of
heart. No matter how Hookey teased or tormented him he could never
again make him angry. Pan saw Hookey with different eyes.

He was unutterably happy now with a horse and saddle too, and went
about singing: "My trade is cinchin' saddles an' pullin' bridle reins."

One day two strange men arrived at the Smith homestead. They had still
hard faces, intent gray eyes; they packed guns, and one of them wore a
bright star on his vest. These men took Hookey away with them. And
after they were gone the cowboys told Pan that Hookey was wanted for
horse stealing. Young as Pan was he understood the enormity of that
crime in the eyes of cowboy