Yet there was
a wistfulness in her voice that caused Horace to look up, and, at
the sight of her face, he left his chair, ran and put his arm
around her neck, exclaiming:

"If you want to call me baby, you can, Momsy! I don't care. Tom
and Larry are the right stuff and they won't laugh."

Ere either of the brothers could reply Hop Joy appeared.

"Ned he goee pool," he announced. "Say if you boys wantee go, you
hully."

"Tell him to bring up Blackhawk, Lightning and Lady Belle. Then
put up some food for us, Hop Joy. Plenty of it, mind."

As the Chinaman glided from the room Mrs. Wilder asked:

"Why do you take anything except for lunch, son?"

"Because I think we will spend the night at the pool. Larry and
Tom want to see the will-o'-the-wisps, and we maybe able to catch
some fish early to-morrow morning. You know father always says
early morning is the only time to fish in the pool."

"Well, I don't suppose it will do any harm for you to be gone over
night. Only be careful. I shall worry if you are not back before
dusk tomorrow night."

Permission to pass the night obtained, the comrades quickly
collected their rifles and some fishing tackle, mounted the ponies
Ned had brought up and rode away.

After learning from their companion that he had found Pete and the
herd at the pool when he arrived, the lads indulged in speculation
as to when and where the pursuers would come across the raiders and
the chances of recovering the cattle.

Of a sudden, remembering his discussion, with his brother the night
before, Larry asked:

"How do you stop a stampede, Ned?"

"You generally don't," replied the man with a grin.

"But you try, don't you? I'm sure I've read of cowboys stopping
stampedes."

"I guess they do it easier in story books then than on the plains.
The best way to stop a stampede is not to let it start. Still, if
there's enough boys on hand, I suppose it could be done. The only
way, though, would be to ride down the leaders and turn them round.

"As I said, if there are enough boys on hand when the trouble
breaks, they can get them to milling, which is going round and
round in a circle until the cattle get tired out. But it takes a
mighty lively bunch of cow-punchers to do it."

After riding for two hours they came in sight of the cattle, and
the two brothers quickened their pace, eager to see them at close
range.

"Steady now. Don't go riding at them like a pack of Indians or you