s, and a pretty place for a raid."

At that moment the doings of the raiders were uppermost in Tresler's
mind.

Then they proceeded to take possession. They found Jim Henderson, a
mean looking Breed boy, in the shack, and promptly set him to work to
clean it out. It was not a bad place, but the boys had let it get into
a filthy condition, in the customary manner of all half-breeds.
However, this they quickly remedied, and Tresler saw quite a decent
prospect of comfort for their stay there.

Arizona said very little while there was work to be done. And his
companion was astonished, even though he knew him so well, at his
capacity and forethought. Evening was the most important time, and
here the cattleman stood out a master of his craft. The beeves had to
be corralled every night. There must be no chance of straying, since
they were sold, and liable for transport at any moment. This work, and
the task of counting, demanded all the cattleman's skill. Bands of
fifty were rounded up, cut out from the rest, and quietly brought in.
When each corral was filled, and the whole herd accommodated for the
night, a supply of fresh young hay was thrown to them to keep them
occupied during their few remaining hours of waking. Arizona was a
giant at the work; and to see his lithe, lean body swaying this way
and that, as he swung his well-trained pony around the ambling herd,
his arms and "rope" and voice at work, was to understand something of
the wild life that claimed him, and the wild, untrained nature which
was his.

The last corral was fastened up, and then, but not until then, the two
friends took leisure.

"Wal," said Arizona, as they stood leaning against the bars of the
biggest corral, "guess ther's goin' to be a night-guard?"

"Yes. These boys are smart enough lads, it seems. We'll let them take
two hours about up to midnight You and I will do the rest."

"An' the hull lot of us'll sleep round the corrals?"

"That's it."

"An' the hosses?"

"We'll keep them saddled."

"An' the sheriff's fellers?"

"That I can't say. We're not likely to see them, anyway."

And so the plans were arranged, simple, even hopeless in construction.
Two men, for they could not depend on the half-breeds, to face
possibly any odds should the raider choose this spot for attack. But
however inadequate the guard, there was something morally strong in
the calm, natural manner of its arranging. These two knew that in case
of trouble they h