Gus, inspired by Blinky, cut loose in dead
earnest. They drove him, they relayed him, they cornered him, and then
as he bolted to get between Gus and Pan, Blinky wheeled his horse and
by a mighty effort headed him with a lasso. That time both wild
stallion and lassoer bit the dust. Gus was on the spot in a twinkling,
and as the animal heaved to his feet, it was only to fall into another
loop. Then the relentless cowboys stretched him out and hobbled him.

"Heah, now, you fire-eyed--air-pawin' hoss--go an' get gentle," panted
Blinky.

By the time the hunters had caught three others, which achievement was
more a matter of patience than violence, the herd had become pretty
well wearied and tamed. They crowded into a mass and moved in a mass.
It took some clever riding at considerable risk to spread them. Fine
horses were few and far between.

"Let's call it off," shouted Pan. "I'm satisfied if you are."

"Aw, just one more, pard," implored Blinky. "I've had my eye on a
little bay mare with four white feet. She's got a V bar brand, and
she's not so wild."

They had to break up the bunch a dozen times before they could locate
the horse Blinky desired. And when Pan espied the bay he did not blame
Blinky, and from that moment, as the chase went on, he grew more and
more covetous. What a horse for Lucy! Pan had been satisfied with the
blue roan for her but after he saw the little bay he changed his mind.

The little animal was cunning. She relied more on crowding in among
the other horses than in running free, and therefore she was hard to
get out into the open. Blinky's mount went lame; Gus's grew so weary
that he could not keep up; but Pan's Sorrel showed wonderful powers of
endurance. In fact he got better all the time. It began to dawn upon
Pan what a treasure he had in Sorrel.

"Aw, let the darn little smart filly go," exclaimed Blinky, giving up
in disgust. "I never wanted her nohow."

"Cowboy, she's been my horse ever since you showed her to me," replied
Pan. "But you didn't know it."

"Wal, you hoss-stealin' son-of-a-gun!" ejaculated Blinky with pleasure.
"If you want her, we shore will run her legs off."

In the end they got Little Bay--as Pan had already named her--into the
roping corral, along with two other horses that ran in with her. And
there Pan chased her into a corner and threw a noose round her neck.
She reared and snorted, but did not bolt.

"Hey, pard," called Blinky, who wa