not a little. But he knew that all
would soon be made plain now, since they were nearly home.

Dashing up in front of the house, the two lads jumped to the ground
almost before their mounts had come to a halt. The door was open, and
Frank led the way in a headlong rush.

As they entered he saw his father seated in his comfortable easy-chair,
with that unfortunate leg, that had given him more or less trouble for
two years now, propped on another seat, and bound up.

There was a stranger with him, but no sign of the Arrowhead Ranch cowboy
doctor; which would indicate that, having done his duty, the roving
physician and bone-setter had returned to his regular business, which
was roping and branding cattle.

Colonel Haywood was a man in the prime of life. Up to the time that
clumsy steer had broken his leg he had been most active; but since then
he had not been able to get around on his feet so well, though able to
ride fairly comfortably.

"Hello! Frank, my boy!" he exclaimed, as the two came rushing in. "So
Ted managed to round you up in great style; did he? Well, I always said
Ted was the sharpest fellow on the range when it came to finding things.
Where have you been to-day?"

"Doing a little missionary work for the country," replied Frank,
smiling. "We came across that lame pet yearling, the dun-colored one you
thought so much of; and there was mighty little left of the poor beast
but a torn hide, not worth lifting."

"Huh! wolves again!" exclaimed the stock-raiser, with a frown.

"Sure thing, sir," Frank went on. "We saw a heap of signs that told us
our old friend, Sallie, with the broken tooth, had been on the job
again. But that was the last of our beef the old lady'll ever taste, or
anybody else's, for that matter."

"What's that? Did you sight her, and get a shot?" demanded the pleased
rancher, forgetting his broken leg in his excitement, and making a
movement that immediately caused him to give a grunt, and settle back
again.

"Old Hank happened to run across our trail just then," Frank continued;
"and we made up our minds to track the beast to her lair. Where do you
suppose we found it, dad, but in the big bunch of rocks that lies about
ten miles to the west?"

"You surprise me; but go on, tell me the rest, and then I'm going to let
you in on something that will open your eyes a little," remarked the
stockman.

"Oh! there isn't much more to tell, dad," the boy hastened to say, for
he was eager t