whose flocks ate so closely as to ruin the feeding range for steers.
The sheep would crop grass down to the very roots, setting back its
growth for many months.

"No, I don't reckon it would be sheepers," murmured Slim. "Wa'al,
mebby they know at the ranch. We'll be headin' home now, I guess.
Come on there, you old tumble-bug!" he called to his horse, and then he
raised his voice and roared:

"Leave me alone with a rope an' a saddle,
Fold my spurs under my haid!
Give me a can of them sweet, yaller peaches,
'Cause why? My true-love is daid!"

Slim's horse started off on a lope, freshened by the rest, and Bud's
followed. They topped the rise, and, then as the animals came within
sight and smell of their stables, and caught the whiff of ever-welcome
water, they dashed down the slope toward the green valley in which
nestled the corral and buildings of Diamond X ranch.

"If I wasn't so doggoned tired," said Slim to Bud as they prepared to
pull up on reaching the corral, "I'd ride over after supper, and see
what that smoke was. I don't perzactly like it."

"Maybe I'll go," offered Bud. "If it _should_ happen to be sheepers,
dad'll want to know it."

"He shore will, son. But--Zow hippy! What's going on here?" cried
Slim. He pointed toward the corral of the ranch--a fenced-off field
where the cowboys kept their string of ponies when the animals were not
in use. Here, too, spare animals were held against the time of need.

Just now a crowd of cowboys surrounded this corral. Some were perched
on the rails of the fence, and others leaned over. Some were swinging
their hats as though in encouragement, and one was rapidly emptying his
gun on the defenseless air, which was further torn and shattered by
wild yells.

As the two wayfarers neared the corral, there dashed from among the
cattle punchers surrounding it an exceedingly fat cowboy, whose face,
wreathed in smiles, was also wet with perspiration. He swung his hat
around in a circle and yelled shrilly:

"Some ridin', boys! Some ridin'! Go to it!"

"What's the matter, Babe?" asked Slim, of his assistant who had thus
given vent to his feelings.

"Go look! It's so good I don't want to spoil it!" laughed the fat one.
"Two tenderfoots--Oh, my--Hole me up, somebody!" he begged. "Some
ridin'!"

Bud had a glimpse, in the corral, of a youth about his own age, flying
rapidly around the enclosure on the back of a bucking bronco. The lad
was holdi