Siccane, Arizona, or bust!"

One by one the boys rolled from their beds. Pan was the only one who
had to pull on his boots. Somebody found soap and towel, which they
fought over. The towel had not been clean before this onslaught.
Afterward it was unrecognizable. Gus cooked breakfast which, judged
from the attack upon it, was creditable to him.

"Wal, our hosses are heah," said Blinky, cheerfully. "Reckon I was
afeared they'd jump the fence. We may have a little hell on the start."

"Blink, you don't aim to tie up their feet again, do you?" inquired Pan
anxiously.

"Nope. They had all they wanted of thet. Mebbe they'll try to bust
away first off. But our hosses are fresh, too. I'm gamblin' in three
hours we'll have them in your dad's corral."

"Then we don't have to drive through Marco?"

"Shore not. We're on the main road thet passes your dad's. Reckon
it's aboot eight miles or so."

"Say, Blink, do we take this road on our way south to Siccane?"

"Yep. It's the only road. You come in on it by stage. It runs north
and south. Not very good road this way out of Marco."

"Then, by golly, we can leave our new horses here," exclaimed Pan
gladly.

"Wal, I'll be goldarned. Where's my haid? Shore we can. It's a
first-rate pasture, plenty of water, an' fair grass. But I'll have to
go in town, thet's damn shore, you know. An' we cain't leave these
hosses heah unguarded."

"Gus, will you and Brown stay here? We'll leave grub and outfit."

Brown had to refuse, and explained that he was keen to get back to his
mining claim, which he believed now he would be able to work.

"I'll stay," said Gus. "It's a good idee. Workin' with these hosses a
day or two will get 'em fit to travel. An' I reckon I'd like a job
with you, far as Siccane anyway."

"You've got it, and after we reach Siccane, too, if you want one,"
replied Pan quickly.

The deal was settled to the satisfaction of all concerned.

"How aboot our pack hosses?" asked Blinky. "Course Charley will have
to take his, but will we need ours? I mean will we have to pack them
from heah?"

"No, all that stuff can go in the wagons," replied Pan. "We'll need
three wagons, anyhow. Maybe more. Dad, how much of an outfit have you
at home?"

"You saw it, son," said Smith, with a laugh. "Mine would go in a
saddlebag. But I reckon the women folks will have a wagon load."

"Rustle. I'm ararin' to go," yelled Pan, striding out into the pas