search some one
left his work at the irrigation dam, and the water running down rudely
awoke the child out of his dreams. Wet and bedraggled, squalling at
the top of his lungs, Panhandle trudged back home to the relief of a
distracted mother.

"Doggone it," ejaculated Bill to his neighbors. "That kid's goin' to
be just like me. I never could stay home."

A year later Bill Smith sold his farm and moved farther west in Texas,
where he took up a homestead, and divided his time between that and
work on a big irrigating canal which was being constructed.

Panhandle now lived on a ranch and it was far lonelier than his first
home, because his father was away so much of the time. At first the
nearest neighbor was Panhandle's uncle, who lived two long prairie
miles away. His house was a black dot on the horizon, not
unattainable, it seemed to Panhandle, but very far away. He would have
risked the distance, save for his mother, who was very timid in this
country so new to her. Panhandle would never forget how she was
frightened at a crazy wanderer who happened to come along, and another
time by some drunken Mexican laborers.

Panhandle undoubtedly had an adventuring soul. One day he discovered
that a skunk had dug a hole under the front porch and had given birth
to her kittens there. Panhandle was not afraid of them, and neither
hurt nor frightened them. After a time he made playmates of them, and
was one day hugely enjoying himself with them when his mother found
him. She was frightened, enraged and horrified all at once. She
entreated Panhandle to let the dirty little skunks alone. Panhandle
would promise and then forget. His mother punished him, all to no
avail. Then she adopted harsher measures.

Homesteaders had located near by and Mrs. Smith called on them, in the
hope that she could hire a cowboy or ranch hand to come over and
destroy the skunks. It chanced there was no one but a Mrs. Hardman and
her only boy. His name was Dick. He was seven years old, large for
his age, a bold handsome lad with red hair. Mrs. Smith made a bargain
with Dick, and led him back with her.

Here Panhandle took violent exception to having his pets killed or
routed out by this boy he had never before seen. He did not like his
looks anyway. But Dick paid little heed to Panhandle, except once when
Mrs. Smith went into the house, and then he knocked Panhandle down.
For once Panhandle did not squall. He got up, round ey