. Well, they
never did catch many cattle the first few days,--after they had picked
up the tame bunch that hung around the water,--and the dry weather
seemed to have driven the cows in from The Rolls. But when they came
in the second afternoon, with only a half of their gather, Creede rode
out from the hold-up herd to meet them, looking pretty black.

It is the duty of a _rodeo_ boss to know what is going on, if he has
to ride a horse to death to find out; and the next day, after sending
every man down his ridge, Jeff left Kitty Bonnair talking lion hunt
with old Bill Johnson who had ridden clear over from Hell's Hip Pocket
to gaze upon this horse-riding Diana, and disappeared. As a result,
Bat Wings was lathered to a fine dirt-color and there was one man in
particular that the boss wanted to see.

"Jim," he said, riding up to where one of the Clark boys was sullenly
lashing the drag with his _reata_, "what in the hell do you mean by
lettin' all them cattle get away? Yes, you did too. I saw you tryin'
to turn 'em back, so don't try to hand me anything like that. I used
to think you was a good puncher, Jim, but a man that can't keep a herd
of cows from goin' through a box pass ought to be smokin' cigarettes
on the day herd. You bet ye! All you had to do was be there--and
that's jest exactly where you wasn't! I was up on top of that rocky
butte, and I know. You was half a mile up the canyon mousin' around in
them cliffs, that's where you was, and the only question I want to ask
is, Did you find the Lost Dutchman? No? Then what in hell was you
doin'?"

The _rodeo_ boss crowded his horse in close and thrust his face
forward until he could look him squarely in the eye, and Clark jerked
back his head resentfully.

"What is it to you?" he demanded belligerently.

"Oh, nawthin'," returned the boss lightly, "jest wanted to know."

"Uhr!" grunted the cowboy contemptuously. "Well, I was killin' snakes,
then! What ye goin' to do about it?"

"Snakes!" cried Creede incredulously. "Killin' snakes! Since when did
you call a feud on them?"

"Since thet young lady come," replied Clark, glancing around to see if
any one had the nerve to laugh. "I heerd her say she was collectin'
rattles; an' I thought, while I was waitin', I might as well rustle up
a few. Oh, you don't need to look pop-eyed--they's others!"

He rolled his eyes significantly at the group of assembled cowboys,
and Creede took it all in at a flash. There _were_ ot