permitted, they lived in the tent, and
as Jack grew stronger every day, he was allowed to accompany the
sheep-herder and Senor and help to drive home the sheep in the evening.
Although they never saw anyone, Jack was never dull or lonely, as Pedro
was excellent company. He showed him how to prepare the different
skins of animals they found near their camp, and when Jack was tired of
work, he and Senor would go off to hunt for chipmunks and gophers.
Chipmunks were like small squirrels, and gophers were pretty striped
little animals that played about on the prairie.

It had puzzled Jack very much to find a lonely Mexican sheep-herder
could speak English so well, until he learned from Pedro that he had
lived from the time he was a boy with English people. He had spent
many months every year with his young master, hunting, shooting, or
minding cattle with him, and thus had learnt to speak the language
fluently. He said when Mr. Stuart married and settled down on his
ranch, he wanted him (Pedro) to live in a shanty, and look after things
for him, but the love of camp life was too strong in him, and he begged
his master to give him a situation as a sheep-herder. Mr. Stuart had
done as he wished, and he was as happy and contented as possible in his
rough old tent.

CHAPTER VIII.

WHAT JACK LEARNED FROM PEDRO.

Some weeks passed, and still Jack stayed on with his new friend. The
time had not been lost for the boy, as he had learnt many things which
he had not known before, and which were very useful to him in
after-life. He was quick and deft with his lingers, and Pedro taught
him in a few days how to cut and plait long strips of leather into
lariats and bridle-reins, and to make ornamental belts.

'I wish you'd teach me to throw a lariat like the cowboys,' said Jack
one day.

'Come and try, then,' returned Pedro, taking down a long leather rope
that was coiled round the tent-pole and going outside. 'Now watch me.
I take the rope up in loops, leaving the noose end out. Then swing it
round in a circle over your head, quicker and quicker, while you take
aim and try and throw it over the beast's head like that;' and as he
spoke, Pedro let the noose fall gently over Senor's neck, who was
running past at some distance away.

[Illustration: 'PEDRO LET THE NOOSE FALL OVER SENOR'S NECK.']

He then put up a post, and showed Jack how to drop the noose over it.
It was very hard at first to aim straight, but Jack ha