s no middle course. For a long minute
they looked each other in the face. Then said Turkey:

"You and the ranch can go to hell!"

He turned on his heel and went to the house whence, a few minutes later,
he emerged wearing wool chaps and a heavy mackinaw. In one hand he
carried his pet rifle; in the other a canvas warbag. He went into the
stable and presently led out his mare, saddled. Then he jogged away
without a glance in Angus' direction.

CHAPTER XVIII

CHRISTMAS AT THE FRENCHES

On Christmas Day, Angus and Rennie found themselves alone on the ranch.
Gus had gone to town, which meant that he would be drunk for some days.
Turkey had not returned since he rode away, nor had Angus seen him,
though he had learned that he was helping Garland to round up a drive or
two of cattle and would probably feed a bunch through the winter for a
grubstake.

The weather had turned mild. The day was warm as October, and the frost
was coming out of the ground, for still there was no snow. Rennie was
busy with preparations for an elaborate night dinner, but Angus was
restless.

"I think I'll go out and look for that old buckskin cayuse," he said.

"He ain't worth lookin' for," Rennie returned; "but if you go, you
better pack that old buffler coat."

But Angus did not take the old buffalo riding coat which had been his
father's. He got into a pair of leather chaps and tied a mackinaw on the
saddle.

The big horse wanted to go, and Angus let him. When he left the road it
was to follow cattle trails, on which Chief sailed smoothly. Now and
then he pulled up to listen for bells, but the buckskin was merely an
excuse. He was an old sinner, with a habit of staying out as long as he
could rustle feed. When Angus ran across him at last, late in the
afternoon, he was with a band of half-wild, disreputable friends, from
whom he had no intention of being separated. They knew every foot of
every trail in a badly broken country, and Chief, though sure-footed,
was not a stock horse. The continued twists and turns and brush worried
him. He could not use his speed, and not knowing exactly what was
expected of him, began to fret. After an hour of fruitless chase Angus
gave it up and looked around to get his bearings.

He found himself up under a mountain in a rough country some fifteen
miles from home. The sun was gone; and all over the north and west and
overhead the sky was blue-black, trimmed with dirty gray. As he sat
breathin