r them three thousand
wethers--value six dollars per--that I stompeded. The dastard! D'ye
see how he keeps away from me? Well, I'm goin' to call the _rodeo_
right away and work that whole upper range, and when the river goes
down you'll find Jeff Creede right there with the goods if Jasp is
lookin' for trouble. Read them letters, boy, and tell me if I'm goin'
to have the old judge on my hands, too."

According to the letters, he was; and the boss was also looking
forward with pleasure to her visit in the Spring.

"Well, wouldn't that jar you," commented Creede, and then he laughed
slyly. "Cheer up," he said, "it might be worse--they's nothin' said
about Kitty Bonnair."

Sure enough--not a word about Kitty, and the year before Lucy had
spoken about her in every letter! There was something mysterious about
it, and sinister; they both felt it.

And when at last the wagon came in, bearing only Judge Ware and Lucy,
somehow even Jeff's sore heart was touched by a sense of loss. But
while others might dissemble, Bill Lightfoot's impulsive nature made
no concealment of its chiefest thought.

"Where's Miss Bunnair?" he demanded, as soon as Lucy Ware was free,
and there was a sudden lull in the conversation roundabout as the
cowboys listened for the answer.

"I'm sorry," said Miss Ware, politely evasive, "but she wasn't able to
come with me."

"She'll be down bimeby, though, won't she?" persisted Lightfoot; and
when Lucy finally answered with a vague "Perhaps" he turned to the
assembled cowboys with a triumphant grin. "Um, now, what'd I tell
you!" he said; and one and all they scowled and stabbed him with their
eyes.

The _rodeo_ camp was already established beneath the big mesquite, and
while three or four careless cowmen held the day herd over against the
mesa the rest of the outfit was busy raking The Rolls. It was all very
different from what Judge Ware and Lucy had anticipated. There was no
sign of excitement in their midst, no ostentatious display of arms or
posting of patrols, and what surprised the judge most of all was that
in their friendly gatherings around the fire there was no one, save
Hardy, who would argue against the sheep.

The judge had been on to Washington and was possessed of all the
material facts, but nobody was interested any more in the Salagua
Forest Reserve; he had consulted with the Chief Forester and even with
the President himself, laying before them the imminence of the danger,
and the