odded, solemn as an image, his dark eyes twinkling a little.

"I'm real pleasant to the sheriff an' sort of indifferent to this here
Plimsoll person?" he suggested.

"Let 'em size up the thing fo' themselves. They'll find Pronto in the
corral, also Sam's roan, which they know is our usual mounts. If they
don't sabe the buckboard's gone, which they probably will, knowin' this
outfit fairly well, an' the sheriff not bein' a dumbhead; lead up to it.
Then you might horn it out of Pedro that he thinks we started erbout ten
o'clock an' leave it to them to foller trail. It'll be plain enough.
We'll take care of the rest. Up to you, Buck, to act natcherul."

"I'll sure do that. I sabe the play."

"Then we'll light out soon's we're packed. Mormon, git the grub an'
water aboard. Sam, help me with the rest of the truck. Got yore war-bag,
Molly?"

"I haven't said good-by to Dad, or Grit," she said.

Sandy nodded. "Reckon you'd like to do that alone. Suppose you take Grit
with you to the spring an' then leave him up in yore room."

"He knows I'm goin'. I told him last night, but he knew it 'thout that."
Molly spoke in a monotone. She was pale and her eyes showed lack of
sleep but she had fought the thing out with herself and she was going
to be game. She gave Sandy her grip and walked off toward the
cottonwoods. Grit nosed along in her shadow, his muzzle touching her
skirt.

It was a big load for the buckboard with Mormon and Sam in the back seat
crowded by the piled-up baggage, with Sandy driving and Molly beside
him, flushed a little with growing excitement. But the buckskins were
sinewed with whalebone and used to desert work. They surged forward at
the word, tightening the tugs in an eager leap and settled down to a
fast trot, out across the prairie. The riders, with the exception of
Buck, and Jim, who was already close to the butte, which was midway
between the ranch and Hereford, loped off, two and two, to their work,
not to return until sun-down.

It was still cool, the dust rose about them in eddies as they crossed
the slowly descending slope of the sink that presently mounted again
toward the far-off range. There was no apparent road, but Sandy chose a
compass course between the sage for the first few miles, then skirted
the mesquite. Sam leaned forward once when the buckskins had been pulled
down to a walk and spoke to Molly.

"See that notch in the range?" he asked, "oveh to the no'th, where the
shadder's blue