Uncle Frank or Aunt Jane would come in just then and find him at
this unaccustomed task. It might help.

Meanwhile, Cheyenne and his brother-in-law had a talk, outside. Dorothy
and Aunt Jane retired to the veranda, talking in low tones. Presently
Little Jim, who could stand the strain no longer,--the jury seemed a
long time at arriving at a verdict,--appeared on the front veranda,
hatless, washed, and his hair fearfully and wonderfully brushed and
combed.

"Why, Jimmy!" exclaimed Dorothy.

Jimmy fidgeted and glanced away bashfully. Presently he stole to his
Aunt Jane's side.

"Am I goin' to get a lickin'?" he queried.

Aunt Jane shook her head, and patted his hand. Entrenched beside Aunt
Jane, Jimmy watched his father and Uncle Frank as they talked by the big
corral. Uncle Frank was gesturing toward the mountains. Cheyenne was
arguing quietly.

"It ain't just the runnin' off of Sneed's hosses," said Uncle Frank.
"That's bad enough. But I told Jimmy to keep away from Sneed's."

"So did I," declared Cheyenne. "And seein' as I'm his dad, it's up to me
to lick him if he's goin' to get licked."

"Sneed is like to ride down some night and set fire to the barns,"
asserted Uncle Frank.

"Sneed don't know yet who run off his stock. And he can't say that I
did, and prove it. Now, Frank, you just hold your hosses. I'll ride over
to camp and get my outfit together and come over here. Then we'll throw
Steve Brown's hosses into your pasture, and I'll see that Sneed's stock
is out of here, pronto."

"That's all right. But Sneed will trail his stock down here."

"But he won't find 'em here. And he'll never know they was in your
corral."

Uncle Frank shook his head doubtfully. He was a pessimist and always
argued the worst of a possible situation.

"And before I'll see Jimmy take a lickin'--this trip--I'll ride back and
shoot it out with Sneed and his outfit," stated Cheyenne.

"I reckon you're fool enough to do it," said Uncle Frank.

* * * * *

An hour later Bartley and Cheyenne were at the Lawrence ranch, where
they changed packs, saddled Filaree and Joshua, and turned the horses
borrowed from Steve Brown into Uncle Frank's back pasture.

Little Jim watched these operations with keen interest. He wanted to
help, but refrained for fear that he would muss up his hair--and he
wanted Uncle Frank to notice his hair as it was.

Aunt Jane hastily prepared a meal and Dorothy helped.

In