ng else. And Drew
guessed how he stood with the Mexican foreman. Rennie might have faith, or
pretend to have faith, in some new method of training, but Rivas was a
conservative who preferred the tried and true and undoubtedly considered
the Kentuckian an interloper.

"Now, the matter of Shiloh..."

Drew finished the sherry with appreciation. He was beginning to see the
amusing side of this conference. Drew's work on the Range settled, Rennie
was about to get to what he really wanted. But _Don_ Cazar's first words
were a little startling.

"We'll keep him close-in the water corral. To turn a stud of eastern
breeding loose is dangerous----"

"You mean he might be stolen, suh?" Drew clicked his empty glass down on
the table.

"No, he might be killed!" And Rennie's tone indicated he meant just that.

"How...why?"

"There are wild-horse bands out there, though we're trying to capture or
run them off the Range. And a wild stud will always try to add mares to
his band. Because he has fought many times to keep or take mares, he is a
formidable and vicious opponent, one that an imported, tamed stud can
rarely best. Right now, coming into Big Rock well for water is a pinto
that has killed three other stallions--including a black I imported back in
'60--and two of them were larger, heavier animals than he.

"The Trinfans are moving down into that section this week. I hope they can
break up that band, run down the stud anyway. He has courage and cunning,
but his blood is not a line we want for foals on this range. So Shiloh
stays here at the Stronghold; don't risk him loose."

"Yes, suh. What about these wild ones--they worth huntin'?"

"They're mixed; some are scrubs, inbred, poor stuff. But a few fine ones
turn up. Mostly when they do they're strays or bred from strays--escaped
from horse thieves or Indians. If the mustangers here pick up any branded
ones, they're returned to the owners, if possible, or sold at a yearly
auction. By the old Mexican law the hunting season for horses runs from
October to March. Foals are old enough then to be branded. Speaking of
foals, you left your mare and the filly in town?"

"Kells'll give them stable room till next month. I can bring them out
then."

"We'll have a delivery of remounts to make to the camp about then. You can
help haze those in and pick up your own stock on return."

Leon appeared in the doorway. "_Don_ Cazar, the _mesteneoes_--they arrive."

"Good. These people