of silence. He knew that he had made himself ridiculous before
these men. It would be hard to live down this thing. He deemed
himself sadly out of luck, but he never lost sight of the main chance
for an instant.

Bailey, through young Andy White, knew of Pete and was studying him.
The boy had self-possession, and he had not cursed the horse for
stumbling. He saw that Pete was making a fight to keep his temper.

"You lookin' for work?" he said kindly.

"I was headed that way," replied Pete.

"Can you rope?"

"Oh, some. I kin keep from tanglin' my feet in a rope when it's
hangin' on the horn and I'm standin' off a piece."

"Well, things are slack right now. Don't know as I could use you.
What's your name, anyhow?"

"I'm Pete Annersley. I reckon you know who my pop was."

Bailey nodded. "The T-Bar-T," he said, turning toward the men. They
shook their heads and were silent, gazing curiously at the boy, of whom
it was said that he had "bumped off" two T-Bar-T boys in a raid some
years ago. Young Pete felt his ground firmer beneath him. The men had
ceased laughing. If it had not been for that unfortunate stumble . . .

"You're sportin' a right good rig," said the foreman.

"I aim to," said Pete quickly. "If I hadn't gone broke buyin' it, I'd
ride up here on a real hoss."

"Things are pretty slack right now," said Bailey. "Glad to see
you--but they won't be nothin' doin' till fall. Won't you set down?
We're goin' to eat right soon."

"Thanks. I ain't a-missin' a chanct to eat. And I reckon ole Rowdy
there could do somethin' in that line hisself."

Bailey smiled. "Turn your horse into the corral. Better pack your
saddle over here. That pup will chew them new latigos if he gets near
it."

"That doggone pup come mighty nigh bustin' me,"--and Pete smiled for
the first time since arriving. "But the pup was havin' a good time,
anyhow."

"Say, I want to shake with you!" said a big puncher, rising and
sticking out a strong, hairy hand.

Pete's face expressed surprise. "Why--sure!" he stammered, not
realizing that his smiling reference to the pup had won him a friend.

"He's sure a hard-boiled kid," said one of the men as Pete unsaddled
and led Rowdy to the corral. "Did you catch his eye? Black--and
shinin'; plumb full of deviltry--down in deep. That kid's had to hit
some hard spots afore he growed to where he is."

"And he can take his medicine," asserted another cowboy. "He was mad