een 'em. I
was over back of them hogbacks and buttes lookin' for strays and mavericks
when along come them muttons in a cloud of dust that would choke a cow. I
allow that darned sheepman has made us look like a lot of tenderfeet,
Mike."

Stelton at this intelligence fairly gagged on his own fury. Larkin had
scored on him again. The two were joined at this moment by Bissell who
had noted the excitement at the corral. When apprised of what had
happened, the cowman's face went as dark with anger as that of his
foreman.

Beef Bissell was not accustomed to the sensation of being outwitted in
anything, and the knowledge that the sheep were nearly half-way up the
range put him almost beside himself.

For a few moments the trio looked at one another speechless. Then Bissell
voiced the determination of them all.

"By the devil's mare!" he swore. "I won't be beaten by any sheepman that
ever walked. Stelton, how many men will be in to-night?"

"Fifteen."

"Get 'em and bring 'em to me as soon as they come."

While the foreman went off about this business Bissell learned from Chuck,
the cowboy, just where he had seen the sheep last, how fast they were
traveling, and how far he calculated they would go before bedding down for
the night.

"I reckon the outfit ought to camp somewhere about Little Creek," said
Chuck. "That's runnin' water."

"And how far beyond that is Little River?"

"Two miles more or less."

"Fine. Wait around till the rest of the boys come in, Chuck. Oh, by the
way, how near are the sheep to our eastern herd of cows?"

"Five miles more will bring 'em to the range the cows are on now."

An hour before supper the rest of the punchers began to come in from
riding the range and rounding up strays. Before they were permitted a
mouthful, however, Bissell went out to the bunk house with Stelton.

"Boys," he said, "which of you was down at the Big Horn last night an'
turned them sheep back?"

A man spoke up and then two more who had been left on guard in the
vicinity.

"How many did you scatter?"

"Dunno, boss," replied the first judicially. "From the noise they made I
allow there was at least a thousand."

"Well, I bet you a month's wage there wasn't more'n a hundred," said
Bissell, glaring at the puncher.

"Won't take yer, boss," returned the other calmly. "Why?"

"Because practically the whole flock is beddin' down at Little Creek now.
Chuck seen 'em. Now I want all you fellers to get supper an