cled
about and returned to the feet of their master, wagging their tails
but not abating their barking one whit. Standing bareheaded in the
doorway with his hair and beard bushed out like a lion's mane Johnson
strove by kicks and curses to quiet their uproar, shouting again and
again some words which Hardy could not catch.

At last, grabbing old Suke, the leader of the pack, by an ear, he
slapped her until her yelpings silenced the rest; then, stepping out
into the opening, he exclaimed:

"My God, Hardy, is that you?"

"Sure," replied Hardy impatiently. "Why, what's the matter?"

"Sheep!" shouted Johnson, throwing out his hands wildly, "thousands of
'em, millions of 'em!"

"Sheep--where?" demanded Hardy. "Where are they?"

"They're on your upper range, boy, and more comin'!"

"What?" cried Hardy incredulously. "Why, how did they get up there? I
just rode the whole rim to-day!"

"They come over the top of the Four Peaks," shouted the old man,
shaking with excitement. "Yes, sir, over the top of the Four Peaks! My
hounds took after a lion last night, and this mornin' I trailed 'em
clean over into the middle fork where they had 'im treed. He jumped
down and run when I come up and jist as we was hotfoot after him we
run spang into three thousand head of sheep, drifting down from the
pass, and six greasers and a white man in the rear with carbeens. The
whole dam' outfit is comin' in on us. But we can turn 'em yet! Whar's
Jeff and the boys?"

"They've gone to town with the cattle."

"Well, you're dished then," said the old man grimly. "Might as well
put up your horse and eat--I'm goin' home and see that they don't none
of 'em git in on me!"

"Whose sheep were they?" inquired Hardy, as he sat down to a hasty
meal.

"Don't ask me, boy," replied Johnson. "I never had time to find out.
One of them Mexicans took a shot at Rye and I pulled my gun on him,
and then the boss herder he jumped in, and there we had it, back and
forth. He claimed I was tryin' to stompede his sheep, but I _knowed_
his greaser had tried to shoot my dog, and I told him so! And I told
him furthermore that the first sheep or sheepman that p'inted his head
down the Pocket trail would stop lead; and every one tharafter, as
long as I could draw a bead. And by Gawd, I mean it!" He struck his
gnarled fist upon the table till every tin plate jumped, and his fiery
eyes burned savagely as he paced about the room.

At first peep of dawn Bill Johnson wa