he moon gits up you'll see better. S'long, mate."

Jim rode away towards the camp fire, and young Nat proceeded to circle
round the great herd of cattle. It was a mighty bunch for three men to
handle. But Lablache, its owner, was never one to underwork his men.
This was the herd which he had purchased at the sale of Bunning-Ford's
ranch. And they were now being taken to his own ranch, some distance to
the south of the settlement, for the purpose of re-branding with his own
marks.

As young Nat entered upon his vigil the golden arc of the rising moon
broke the sky-line of the horizon. Already the clouds were fast
clearing, being slowly driven before the yellow glory of the orb of
night. Soon the prairie would be bathed in the effulgent, silvery light
which renders the western night so delicious when the moon is at its
full.

As the cowboy circled the herd, the moon, at first directly to his left,
slowly dropped behind until its, as yet, dull light shone full upon his
back. The beasts were quite quiet and the sense of responsibility which
was his, in a measure, lessened.

Some distance ahead, and near by where' he must pass, a clump of
undergrowth and a few stunted trees grew round the base of a hillock and
broken rocks. The cattle were reposing close up by this shelter. Nat's
horse, as he drew near to the brush, was ambling along at that peculiar
gait, half walk, half trot, essentially the pace of a "cow-horse."
Suddenly the animal came to a stand, for which there seemed no apparent
reason. He stood for a second with ears cocked, sniffing at the night
air in evident alarm. Then a prolonged, low whistle split the air. The
sound came from the other side of the rocks, and, to the tenderfoot's
ears, constituted a signal.

The most natural thing for him to have done would have been to wait for
further developments, if developments there were to be. However, he was
a plucky youngster, in spite of his inexperience, and, besides,
something of the derision of Jake Bond was still rankling in his mind.
He knew the whistle to be the effort of some man, and his discovery of
the individual would further prove the accuracy of his hearing, and he
would then have the laugh of his companion. A more experienced hand
would have first looked to his six-shooter and thought of cattle
thieves, but, as Jake had said, he was a tenderfoot. Instead, without a
moment's hesitation, he dashed his spurs into his broncho's flanks and
swept round t