I am not the only one who is a crank. I have known fellows so
proud of their lungs, that night after night they insisted on filling
the air mattresses of the party just to prove which could blow the
harder; while the other two members of the party sat by and laughed."

Frank chuckled at hearing this, and both Bluff and Jerry looked daggers,
for the shot hit home with them.

In the morning the boys did accompany the rancher down the valley. Frank
showed them his course on the previous night, and they followed his
line of travel until the trees were reached. Trail there was none, for
hundreds of cloven hoofs had pounded the soil about that spot, showing
how narrow had been his escape.

The cowboys were found to have the big herd well in hand. It was even
then on the way back to its former feeding ground. Some of the steers
showed the effects of the mad rush, in various cuts from the horns of
their fellows; and several had tripped and gone down to death in the
panic, the herd trampling them into an unrecognizable mass.

Of course, Will satisfied his longing, and secured what pictures he
wanted.

"I'm happy in having carried out my plans. Won't the home folks stare
when they see the panorama of views I've gathered!" he said jubilantly.

"I should think they would," remarked Jerry, shrugging his shoulders,
"for you certainly have a collection of freak pictures, some of which
would take the prize."

"But all of this lot are genuine. Nobody had to prance around a tree
with a dead yellow dog on his feet, pretending to chase after him,"
asserted Will.

"Whose doing was that, eh? Tell me that! Didn't you just plead with me
to make a fool of myself, and to save you pain I consented. I suppose
I'll never hear the end of that fool joke," growled Jerry.

"Oh, yes, you will. It's all in the family. Others don't know the dog
was dead when he had his picture taken. They all say he looks as though
about to snap a piece out of your leg. Now, I think we've just had a
glorious time of it up here, with nothing to mar our pleasure," remarked
Frank, the peacemaker.

"Except that miserable job of mine in leaving my knife home," sighed
Bluff.

"Talk to me about that, will you! He hasn't forgotten it yet!" exclaimed
Jerry.

"I never can. Hello! Here comes Reddy with a bag of mail, the last we'll
get, I suppose, before we go home. A letter for me? Now just keep your
eyes to yourselves, fellows. I admit it's from Nellie, but no doub