make a fire, and cook what we have."

"But not all of it," stipulated Dick. "We've got to save some for
to-morrow. No telling how long we may be out on our own."

"That's right," agreed Nort. "Though when our bacon and flour give out
we can get one of those fellows--maybe," and he pointed to a big jack
rabbit, almost as large as a dog, loping away.

"Yes, Bud says they're good eating," assented Dick. "The only thing
is, can we knock one over with our guns?"

"I'm not much of a shot, yet, but then a fellow ought to hit one of
those jacks--when he isn't running," qualified Nort, for the speed of
these rabbits of the plains is almost beyond belief. Indeed they put
the speediest horse on his mettle, and a greyhound, or a similar breed
of dog, is the only canine that can compete with them.

"Yes, no use shooting when they start racing," agreed Dick.

The lads slipped from their ponies, taking off the saddles which,
later, they would use as pillows. And immediately the cow horses were
relieved of their back burdens, they started to roll. This is the
ideal recreation for the steeds of ranch or plain, for they get little
of the rubbing down or care bestowed on other horses. Their daily roll
in the grass and dust keeps their coat in good condition.

The ponies were pegged out by means of the lariats, which allowed them
to graze or roll as they pleased. They were tied near a water hole,
formed below the spring, so the animals had the three most desirable
requisites--food, water and a place to disport themselves.

Nort and Dick proceeded to make their camp. It was a simple operation.
All they had to do was to gather some greasewood for the fire, and
start to cook. Later they would roll in their tarpaulins, with their
heads on the saddles, and get what rest they could.

Fortunately the two boys had with them some cooking utensils, and also
some bacon and flour with a supply of coffee. The flour was of the
"prepared" variety. Mixing it with water gave them batter for
flapjacks, which were baked in the same skillet in which the bacon had
first been fried. Water for the coffee was at hand, and they had sugar
for that beverage, though no milk, which might seem strange so near a
ranch on which were many cattle. But ranches are for the raising of
beef, and are not dairies, so milkless coffee was no hardship to the
boys, though at Diamond X milk was plentiful enough.

The smell of the burning greasewood, the aroma