, the cattle mired by the hundreds.

"Looks bad, Pan," remarked the older cowboy. "We're goin' to need
help."

They returned to camp, got their supper, took fresh horses, and worked
half the night pulling cows out of the mud.

By sunrise the next morning the boys were at work again. Some of the
mired cattle had died, others had kinks in their necks and had to be
killed. Farther up the creek conditions grew worse, and the biggest
pool on the range looked from a distance like a small lake dotted with
ducks.

"I'm cussin' the world by sections," growled Joe. "Wal, kid, you g'on
up the crick, and get as near a count as you can. I'm ridin' in after
men an' wagons. We'll move the camp up heah. It's the wust I ever
seen, an' we'll lose a heap of stock. There's a loblolly of blue gumbo
mud an' no bottom. An' by thunder we're stuck heah for Lord knows how
long."

That fall Jim Blake sold his farm, and took his family to New Mexico.
He had not been prospering in the valley, and things had gone from bad
to worse. Pan did not get home in time to say good-by to
Lucy--something that hurt in an indefinable way. He had not forgotten
Lucy for in his mind she had become a steadfast factor in his home
life. She left a little note of farewell, simple and loyal, hopeful,
yet somehow stultified. Not so childish as former notes! Time flew by
and Lucy might be growing up.

The Hardmans had also moved away from the valley, where, none of the
neighbors appeared to know. But Pan was assured of two facts
concerning them; firstly that Dick had gotten into a serious shooting
scrape in which he had wounded a rancher's son, and secondly that from
some unexpected and unknown source the Hardmans had acquired or been
left some money.

Pan promptly forgot his boyhood enemy. This winter was the last that
he spent at home. He rode the Limestone range that summer, and
according to cowboys' gossip was fast developing all the qualities that
pertained to the best riders of the day.

Upon returning home he found that his father had made unwise deals and
was not getting along very well. Grasping settlers had closed in on
the range. Rustlers had ridden down from the north, raiding the
valley. During Pan's absence a little sister was born, which was
indeed joyful news for him. And as he played with the baby he was
reminded of Lucy. What had become of her? It occurred to Pan that
sooner or later he must hunt her up.

Pan decided t