htened the hills so that they glowed
softly; and the Kid, looking sleepily around him, saw a coyote slinking
along a barren slope. He was going to shout at it and see it run, but
he thought of the man who was looking for him and glanced fearfully
over his shoulder. The moon shone full in his face and showed the
tear-streaks and the tired droop to his lips.

The Kid thought he must be going wrong, because at the ranch the moon
came up in another place altogether. He knew about the moon. Doctor Dell
had explained to him how it just kept going round and round the world
and you saw it when it came up over the edge. That was how Santa Claus
found out if kids were good; he lived in the moon, and it went round and
round so he could look down and see if you were bad. The Kid rubbed the
tears off his cheeks with his palm, so that Santa Claus could not see
that he had been crying. After that he rode bravely, with a consciously
straight spine, because Santa Claus was looking at him all the time and
he must be a rell ole cowpuncher.

After a long while the way grew less rough, and Silver trotted down the
easier slopes. The Kid was pretty tired now. He held on by the horn of
his saddle so Silver would not jolt him so much. He was terribly hungry,
too, and his eyes kept going shut. But Santa Claus kept looking at him
to see if he were a dead game sport, so he did not cry any more. He
wished he had some grub in a sack, but he thought he must be nearly home
now. He had come a terribly far ways since he ran away from that pilgrim
who was going to cut off his ears.

The Kid was so sleepy, and so tired that he almost fell out of the
saddle once when Silver, who had been loping easily across a fairly
level stretch of ground, slowed abruptly to negotiate a washout
crossing. He had been thinking about those baby bear cubs digging ants
and eating them. He had almost seen them doing it; but he remembered now
that he was going home to tell the bunch how the man had lied to him and
tried to make him stay down here. The bunch would sure fix him when they
heard about that.

He was still thinking vengefully of the punishment which the Happy
Family would surely mete out to H. J. Owens when Silver lifted his head,
looked off to the right and gave a shrill whinny. Somebody shouted, and
immediately a couple of horsemen emerged from the shadow of a hill and
galloped toward him.

The Kid gave a cry and then laughed. It was his Daddy Chip and somebod