ow that they were white men's horses
because Indians do not shoe their ponies, but I'm blessed if I can see
how you know that white men were riding them."

"Easy enough. These horses were ridden straight. An Indian, in spite of
stories to the contrary, is not a good horseman. He rides all over the
ground instead of straight ahead when he is going anywhere, seemin' as
if he wanted to get his money's worth of the ride. If it had been
Indians who were driving off these cattle, you would see pony tracks all
over the prairie about here."

"Then we've struck the wrong trail."

"Well, we've missed the Indians, but we've struck another and a better
lead. Ther boys under Ted will most likely git in ther trail o' ther
pony snatchers, but we're on another lay--cattle thieves."

"This is something of a surprise, isn't it?"

"You bet. If we hadn't run ercross this yere trail we mightn't have got
on ter ther fact thet our steers wuz bein' lifted ontil so many o' them
wuz gone thet it would make a big hole in our herd."

"Have they much the start of us?"

"I reckon they have." Bud was down on his knees, looking closely at the
tracks.

"Yes," he continued, "they went by here shortly after midnight."

"How do you know?"

"Against ther east side o' each o' these leetle depressions made by a
hoof is some fresh snow."

"I don't see how that tells the time."

"I do. Along about midnight last night a wind come up an' blew from ther
west fer half an hour. It drifted a little snow before it, which settled
inter these depressions an' banked up against ther east side o' these
tracks."

"That seems reasonable. Bud, where did you learn all these things about
trailing?"

"Never learned them nowhar. It's jest thinkin' about what yer see what
makes a scout an' trailer. These cattle is somewhar up in them hills
yon. They probably drove until sunup, an' then stopped ter give ther
critters a rest before shovin' them inter ther mountings."

"Then I suppose we better hurry. We may be able to find out where they
are."

"Righto, we'll mosey. I reckon we've struck a good thing."

"How many beeves do you suppose there were in that steal?"

"Oh, I reckon fifty er sixty."

"Whew! That's worth going after."

Bud had mounted, and they galloped along the trail, which was broad and
deep. It led them through coulees and over hills and down into valleys,
and the sun was high and the trail apparently endless.

"Bud, let us stop and eat our