he boys were to give orders for getting the herd
on the move again.

"We'll hit the trail in the morning," he said. "It will take some time
to break camp, and we might as well stay around here the rest of to-day
and get an early start in the morning."

Far out on the prairie they heard a cheery shout, and saw coming toward
them a horseman, driving before him a bunch of six steers.

"Git on to ther new herd crossin' our trail," said Bud derisively.
"Jumpin' sand, hills, but thet feller hez a big bunch o' cattle."

"Wonder where he got them all. He's surely a big drover," said Kit.

But the stranger hustled the six steers into the camp, and pulled up a
scrawny little cayuse, and, taking off his hat with a flourish to Stella
and Hallie, who had joined the boys, said:

"Your pardon, ladies an' gents, but what may be ther brand that is
burned inter ther hides o' yer esteemed cattle?"

Ted looked at him questioningly, and saw a tall, thin, bronzed
individual, dressed in a most unusual costume for a cow-puncher, for
such he evidently was from the manner in which he had driven the cattle,
and the way in which he sat and handled his horse.

He had a strange face, half humorous and half sinister. One moment he
would be merry and gay, but in an instant, and for an instant only, it
would change to suspicion and caution. He was lean of frame, but very
muscular, and his eyes were of a keen, piercing blue.

"Any particular reason for wanting to know?" asked Ted quizzically,
smiling up at the tatterdemalion of a cowboy.

"Well, I reckon," was the drawling reply. "I picked up six strays out
here a ways, an' they don't belong ter no brand in this yere part o'
ther country, so I suspicions they belong ter some pilgrims' road brand.
Now, yours is ther only bunch o' trail cattle what's passed this way
recently, an' me, bein' wise ter ther ways o' ther plains, hez ther
hunch thet they might be yours. Right cute o' me, wa'n't it?"

Ted laughed at the chap's half-humorous, half-serious manner.

"Our brand is the Lazy Z," he replied.

"Then them critters aire yourn. Look 'em over, an' if they don't belong
ter you, hand 'em back, an' I'll make 'em ther noocleus o' a herd o' my
own."

Ted rode up to the six strays, which were peacefully grazing not far
away, and examined the brand. They belonged to the herd, all right, and
he said so.

"Well, stranger, much obliged to you for picking them up and bringing
them in," said Ted. "Now