a few minutes Cheyenne and Bartley had eaten, and were ready for the
road. Cheyenne stepped up and shook hands with Jimmy, as though Jimmy
were a grown-up. Jimmy felt elated. There was no one just like his
father, even if folks did say that Cheyenne Hastings could do better
than ride around the country singing and joking with everybody.

"And don't forget to stop by when you come back," said Aunt Jane,
bidding farewell to Bartley.

Dorothy shook hands with the Easterner and wished him a pleasant
journey, rather coolly, Bartley thought. She was much more animated when
bidding farewell to Cheyenne.

"And I won't forget to send you that rifle," said Bartley as he nodded
to Little Jim.

Uncle Frank helped them haze Sneed's horses out of the yard on to the
road, where Cheyenne waited to head them from taking the hill trail,
again.

Just as he left, Bartley turned to Dorothy who stood twisting a
pomegranate bud in her fingers. "May I have it?" he asked, half in jest.

She tossed the bud to him and he caught it. Then he spurred out after
Cheyenne who was already hazing the horses down the road. Occasionally
one of the horses tried to break out and take to the hills, but Cheyenne
always headed it back to the bunch, determined, for some reason unknown
to Bartley, to keep the horses together and going south.

The road climbed gradually, winding in and out among the foothills. As
the going became stiffer, the rock outcropped and the dust settled.

The horses slowed to a walk. Bartley wondered why his companion seemed
determined to drive Sneed's stock south. He thought it would be just as
well to let them break for the hills, and not bother with them. But
Cheyenne offered no explanation. He evidently knew what he was about.

To their right lay the San Andreas Valley across which the long,
slanting shadows of sunset crept slowly. Still Cheyenne kept the bunch
of horses going briskly, when the going permitted speed. Just over a
rise they came suddenly upon an Apache, riding a lean, active paint
horse. Cheyenne pulled up and talked with the Indian. The latter
grinned, nodded, and, jerking his pony round, rode after the horses as
they drifted ahead. Bartley saw the Apache bunch the animals again, and
turn them off the road toward the hills.

"Didn't expect to meet up with luck, so soon," declared Cheyenne. "I
figured to turn Sneed's hosses loose when I'd got 'em far enough from
the ranch. But that Injun'll take care of 'em.