never before had seen.

"What are those steers on the outside there--those fellows without any
horns?" asked Stacy.

"Those are the muleys. Having no horns, they keep well out of the bunch
and wait until the others have gone to bed as you see," the foreman
informed him. "You will notice after a while that they will lie down
outside the circle. If any of the cows get ugly during the night the
muleys will spring up and get out of the way."

In half an hour the last one of the great herd had "bedded down," and
those of the cowboys who were not on guard, rode leisurely back toward
camp.

It had been decided that Tad Butler should go out on the first guard;
Walter Perkins on the second; Ned Rector third and Stacy Brown fourth.

Tad was all eagerness to begin. One of the cowmen exchanged ponies with
him, riding Tad's horse back to camp.

"You see, our ponies understand what is wanted of them," explained
Stallings, who had remained out for a while to give Tad some instruction
in the work before him. "Give the ordinary cow pony his head and he will
almost tend a herd by himself."

Three men ordinarily constituted the guard. In this case Tad Butler made
a fourth. Taking their stations some four rods from the edge of the
herd, they began lazily circling it, part going in one direction and
part in another. In this position it would have been well-nigh
impossible for any animal to escape without being noticed by the riders.

"Now, I guess you will be all right," smiled the foreman. "Make no
sudden moves to frighten the cattle."

"Do they ever run?" asked Tad.

"Run? Well, rather! And I tell you, it takes a long-legged Mexican steer
to set the pace. Those fellows can run faster than a horse--at least
some of them can. A stampede is a thing most dreaded by the cowmen."

"Our ponies stampeded in the Rockies. I know something about that,"
spoke up Tad.

"Well, compare the stampeding of your four or five ponies with two
thousand head of wild steers and you'll get something like the idea of
what it means. In that case, unless you know your business you had
better get out of the way as fast as hoss-flesh will carry you. Now,
Master Tad, I'll bid you good night and leave you to your first night on
the plains."

"How shall I know when to come in?"

"When the second guard comes out. You will hear them. If you should not
they will let you know as they pass you."

With that the foreman walked his pony away from the herd. Af