gradually quieted down.

Ten minutes later, and the two saddle boys were slowly picking their
way along the gully, heading upward. Frank, as one born to the
country, and familiar with many of its peculiarities, amused himself by
pointing out to his comrade the various positive signs that as a rule
marked these strange water-courses.

"You see, Bob," he remarked, "this is really what might be called a
_barranca_."

"Yes, I've heard you tell about them before," observed the other.

"Most of the year it's only a dry ravine, with high walls; but once in
a while there happens to be a tremendous downpour of rain in the
mountains, when a heavy cloud breaks against the wall above. When that
comes about, this gully is going to be bank-full of roaring, rushing
water; and anything caught by the flood is apt to be battered and
bruised and drowned before it's swept out below."

"Whew!" observed Bob, with a shrug of the shoulders. "Let's hope then,
that the next cloud-burst will have the kindness to hold off till we
get out of this hole. If it caught us here, Frank, I reckon we'd just
have to let our nags shift for themselves, and take to climbing the
sides. And wouldn't I hate to lose Domino the worst way; even if he
does give me a raft of trouble at times?"

Frank patted the satiny flank of Buckskin affectionately, as he said:

"And it would just about break me up if anything happened to this
fellow, Bob. I've tried heaps of mounts, seeing that we always have
hundreds on the ranch; but I never threw a leg over one I fancied like
my Buckskin. Why, there are times, Bob, when the game little fellow
seems next door to human to me. We understand each other right well.
He knows what I'm saying now; listen to him whinny, soft-like, at me."

Possibly Bob, knowing considerable about horses himself, may have had a
strong suspicion that the animal understood the touch of his young
master's hand much more readily than he did spoken words; but this was
a subject which he never debated with Frank. The latter had a habit of
talking confidentially with his horse, and seemed satisfied to believe
the animal understood.

Slowly they made their way along. Now and then Frank would dismount to
examine the rocks and scanty earth that formed the trail over which
they were passing.

"Always plenty of signs to tell that horses have been going along here
off'n on, both ways--stacks of 'em," he announced, when perhaps an hour
had elaps