on.
That's useful, seeing Charlie's sort of small, and--and mild."
Suddenly he pointed out ahead. "What's that standing right up there?
See, over there. A tree--or--something."

Fyles abruptly awoke to their whereabouts. Bill Bryant was pointing at
the great pine marking Rocky Springs.

"That's the landmark of Rocky Springs," he told him. This stranger had
so interested and amused him that he had quite lost reckoning of the
distance they had ridden together.

"I don't see any town," complained his companion.

"It's in the valley. You see, that tree is on the shoulder of the
valley of Leaping Creek."

Bill's eyes widened.

"Oh, that's a valley, eh? And Charlie's ranch is down below. I see."

The man's eyes became thoughtful, and he relapsed into silence as they
drew on toward the aged signpost. He was thinking--perhaps hard--of
that brother whom he had not seen for years. Maybe, now that the time
had come for the meeting, some feeling of nervousness was growing.
Perhaps he was wondering if he would be as welcome as he hoped. Had
Charlie changed much? Would his coming be deemed an impertinence?
Charlie had not answered his letter. He forgot his brother had not had
time to answer his impulsive epistle.

As they drew near the valley his eyes lost their enthusiastic light.
His great, honest face was grave, almost to the point of anxiety.

Fyles, watching him furtively, observed every change of expression,
and the meaning of each was plain enough to him. He, too, was
wondering about that meeting. It would have interested him to have
witnessed it. He was thinking about that brother in Rocky Springs. He
knew him slightly, and knew his reputation better, and, in
consequence, the two words "drunkard" and "crook" drifted through his
mind, and left him regretfully wondering. Somehow he felt sorry,
inexpressibly sorry, for this great big babe of a man whom he found
himself unusually glad to have met.

CHAPTER X

THE BROTHERS

The valley of Leaping Creek gaped at Bill Bryant's feet and the man's
ready delight bubbled over.

"Say," he demanded of his guide, "and this is where my brother's ranch
is? Gee," he went on, while Fyles nodded a smiling affirmative, "it
surely is the dandiest ditch this side of creation. It makes me want
to holler."

As Fyles offered no further comment they rode on down the hill in
silence, while Bill Bryant's shining eyes drank in the beauties which
opened out in every direction.