gave him a thrill and a
longing for the saddle and the open country.

"Wal, reckon this heah'll be our busy day," drawled Blinky, after
making a hearty breakfast of bacon and flapjacks. "Pan, what's first
on the ticket?"

"Show me a horse, you bow-legged grub destroyer," replied Pan eagerly.

"Come out to the corral. We got a sorrel as is a real shore enough
hoss if you can ride him."

There were a dozen or more horses in the corral. Pan, glancing over
them with appraising eye, decided the cowboys had not spoken of them
with the degree of satisfaction that they really merited.

"Fine string, Blinky," said Pan, with glistening eyes. "Is that sorrel
the one I can't ride?"

"Yep, thet's him. Ain't he a real hoss?"

"Best of the bunch, at first sight. Blinky, are you sure you're not
giving me your own horse?"

"Me? I don't care nothin' aboot him," declared Blinky, lying glibly.
"Shore he's the orfullest pitchin' son-of-a-gun I ever forked. But
mebbe you can ride him."

It developed presently that Pan could ride the sorrel, and that Blinky
had done the horse a great injustice. How good to be back in the
saddle! Pan wanted to ride down at once to show Lucy his first mount
west of the Rockies. Indeed he was possessed of a strong yearning
desire to hurry to see Lucy, a feeling that he had to dispel. If all
went well he could go to his mother's for dinner. Meanwhile he must
meet the exigencies here in Marco.

"Wal, what's next on the ticket?" queried Blinky, who appeared to be
rather jerky this morning.

"I'm going downtown," replied Pan.

"Ahuh! I want to trail along with you."

"No, I'll go alone. I'll make my bluff strong, Blinky, or draw
Matthews out. Honest, I don't think he'll show."

"Thet yellow dawg? He won't face you, Pan. But he's in thet Hardman
outfit, an' one of them--mebbe Purcell--might take a shot at you from a
winder. It's been done heah. Let me go with you."

"Well, if they're that low down your being with me wouldn't help much,"
replied Pan, pondering the matter. "I'll tell you, Blink. Here's how
I figure. Marco is a pretty big place. It's full of men. And western
men are much alike anywhere. Matthews is no fool. He couldn't risk
murdering me in broad daylight, from ambush."

"I'm not trustin' him," said Blinky, somberly. "But I admit the
chances are he won't do thet."

"You and Gus pack up for the wild-horse drive," went on Pan briskly.
"We ought to get off