n and ate his supper
thoughtfully, and when he got into bed he did not fall asleep within two
minutes, as he might be expected to do. His last conscious thought was
not of stolen horses, however. It was: "And she's Harry Conroy's sister!
Now, what do you think of that? But all the same, she's sure a nice
little schoolma'am."

CHAPTER 3. Rowdy Hires a New Boss.

Next morning, after breakfast, Mr. Rodway followed Vaughan out to the
stable, and repeated Bill Brown's question.

"I'd like to know where yuh got this horse," he began, with an
apologetic sort of determination in his tone. "He happens to belong to
me. He was run off with a bunch three years ago, and this is the first
trace anybody has ever got of 'em. I see the brand's been worked. It was
a Roman four--that's my brand; now it looks like a map of Texas; but I'd
swear to the horse--raised him from a colt."

Rowdy had expected something of the sort, and he knew quite well what he
was going to do; he had settled that the night before, with the memory
of Miss Conroy's eyes fresh in his mind.

"I got him in a deal across the line," he said. "I was told he came from
east Oregon. But last night, when he piloted us straight to your corral
gate, I guessed he'd been here before. He's yours, all right, if you say
so."

"Uh course he ain't worth such a pile uh money," apologized Rodway, "but
the kids thought a heap of him. I'd rather locate some of the horses
that was with him--or the man yuh got him of. They was some mighty good
horses run out uh this country then, but they was all out on the range,
so we didn't miss 'em in time to do any good. Do yu know who took 'em
across the line?"

"No," said Rowdy deliberately. "The man I got Chub from went north, and
I heard he got killed. I don't know of any other in the deal."

Rodway grunted, and Vaughan began vigorously brushing Dixie's roughened
coat. "If you don't mind," he said, after a minute, "I'd like to borrow
Chub to pack my bed over to the Cross L. I can bring him back again."

"Why, sure!" assented Rodway eagerly. "I hate to take him from yuh, but
the kids--"

"Oh, that's all right," interrupted Rowdy cheerfully. "It's all in the
game, and I should 'a' looked up his pedigree, for I knew--. Anyway, was
worth the price of him to have him along last night. We'd have milled
around till daylight, I guess, only for him."

"That's what," agreed Rodway. "Jessie's horse is one she brought from
home lately, and