country to the south, Buck had started out with
the idea that it would be simple enough to reach the flats through one of
the many gullies and canyons that fringed the margin of the hills further
down. He had not counted on the fact that as the range widened it split
into two distinct ridges, steep and declivitous on the outer edges, with
the space between them broken up into a network of water-worn gullies and
arroyos.

"I ought to have known from the look of the north pasture that all the
water goes the other way," he grumbled. "Best thing I can do is to head
for that trail Bud spoke of that cuts through to the T-T ranch. It can't
be so very far north."

It wasn't, as the crow flies, but Buck was no aviator. He was forced to
take a most tortuous, roundabout route, and when he finally emerged on the
first passable track heading approximately in the right direction, the sun
was low and there seemed little chance of his accomplishing his purpose in
the few hours of daylight remaining.

Still, he kept on. At least he was mapping out a route which would be
easily and swiftly followed another time. And if darkness threatened, he
could return to his little camp through the open Shoe-Bar pastures, where
neither Lynch nor his men were at all likely to linger after dusk.

The trail followed a natural break in the hills and, though not especially
difficult under foot, was twisting and irregular, full of sharp descents
and equally steep upward slopes. Buck had covered about two miles and was
growing impatient when he came to the hardest climb he had yet encountered
and swung himself out of the saddle.

"No use killing you, Pete, to save a little time," he commented, giving
the horse's sweaty neck a slap. "I'd like to know how the devil those two
ever drove a steer through here."

It did seem as if this must have been uncommonly difficult. The trail
curved steeply around the side of a hill, following a ledge similar to the
one Buck had taken earlier in the afternoon with such interesting results.
There was width enough for safety, but on one side the rocks rose sharply
to the summit of the hill, while on the other there was a sheer drop into
a gulch below, which, at the crown of the slope, must have been fifty or
sixty feet at least.

Leading the horse, Buck plodded on in a rather discouraged fashion until
he had covered about three-quarters of the distance to the top. Then of a
sudden his pace quickened, as a bend in the t