hand, he stammered some commonplace, cursing himself inwardly for a tongue-tied fool. Her eyes rested on him kindly.
'you are Mister Green's friend, aren't you?' she asked. 'He came to my assistance too, so I'm now obliged to both of you. I ought to be glad you joined the outfit.'
'I'm hopin' yu will be,' Sandy managed to say, and, as he saw his employer approaching, 'Gosh, I'm forgettin' I got a job.'
As he dragged a complaining calf on the end of his rope to the branding fire he communed with himself :
'What come over yu, yu lunkhead, to let a bit of a gal like that scare yu all up? She musts thought yu was dumb.'
But his eyes were shining when he handed over his prisoner, and his sweaty, grimed face wore such an expression of content that Sudden could not help but notice it.
'yu look like yu was all lit up from inside,' he said. 'Havin' a good time, huh?'
'Never had a better,' came the sober reply.
'It would do Rogue's heart good to see that bunch over there,' Sudden said meaningly, nodding in the direction of the gathered cattle.
'yeah,' Sandy snarled, whirled his pony, and was gone, leaving his friend in a thoughtful frame of mind.
Days passed, days made up of long hours filled with incessant, monotonous toil in the blistering heat, and steadily the herd increased. The weather remained fine, feed was plentiful on the plain, and the branded cattle gave no trouble.
'For which, thank the Lawd,' Jeff said fervently. 'If them critters took it into their fool heads to stampede, it'd be just merry hell.'
Even when the herd was complete, much remained to be done. The big covered wagon, with its team of six mules, had to be overhauled and loaded with provisions, flour, bacon, coffee, New Orleans molasses--familiarly known as 'blackstrap'--pickles, and a limited supply of dried fruits. The remuda had to be selected--five horses for each man--weapons and ammunition prepared.
Twelve men, including the rancher and the cook, were to accompany the herd, two older members of the outfit remain ing behind to 'hold down the ranch.' These preparations entailed constant effort, for Eden was eager to start.
Sudden had little chance of converse with his friend during these days of stress, for the brief hours of rest were too precious to be wasted, but he got more or less acquainted with the other members of the outfit and decided that Sam Eden was a good judge of a man. Rough, reckless, and shabby-looking, they were nevertheless capable. Only one he did not approve of--a newcomer like himself--a big, dark, be-whiskered fellow named Lasker, who was in charge of the remuda, a position which was poorly-regarded in a cow-camp. He knew nothing against the man but instinctively distrusted him.
'He's got mean eyes,' he explained to Sandy.
'Well, I dessay the hosses won't mind,' was the indifferent reply.
Sudden looked at him thoughtfully. The boy had changed since they had joined the S E ; his gay impudence had gone, to be replaced by a moody irritability. 'He's pretty near played out, like the rest of us,' was his unspoken reflection, but he knew it was not a satisfactory solution, for bone-weary as all the men were, enthusiasm prevailed, whereas Sandy appeared disgruntled, sick of the whole business.
'Jeff tells me we're all set for an early start to-morrow,' Sudden offered.
'It'll be a relief to get away from this blasted plain,' was all Sandy had to say.
When the rancher and his daughter made their appearance in the morning they were accompanied by Baudry. Together they inspected the herd.
'They look good to me, but surely you have some oldish stuff amongst them,' the gambler commented.
'Oh, I reckon they'll pass with the rest,' Eden said. 'Yu remember what the foreman o' one o' the early drives told the buyer who made the same complaint? 'Strangers,' he says, 'if yu'd bin through half what them critters has, yu'd look twice yore age.' '
Baudry laughed. 'Well, you know your business, Sam, and I wish you all the luck there is,' he rejoined. 'I'll be coming north myself and shall expect to see you. Hear of the killing at Littleton?'
This was a settlement some thirty miles distant, and the ranch having had no visitors was without news. Eden said as much.
'Coolest thing ever,' Baudry went on. 'A stranger steps into Greggs saloon just after dusk, shoots the dealer at the monte table, collects all the cash in sight and backs out. When the company comes to life again, he's clean away.'
'Another o' Rogue's capers, I s'pose?' the rancher said.
'They say not, unless he's got a new hand,' Baudry replied. 'From his looks, and a remark he made, he was Sudden, the Fourways and San Antonio killer.' A rider on a big black horse, waiting to assist in starting the herd, caught his eye. 'Why, that might be the fellow, by the description,' he finished.
'What, Green?' the cattleman grinned. 'He's been tied to this camp pretty tight the last two-three weeks. No, Jethro, there ain't no murderers in his outfit ; Jim's all right.'
The young man heard the words, but they brought him no satisfaction ; the gambler's harsh voice had also carried to where he sat and the bitterness he had been trying to blot out of his life had overwhelmed him again. Another crime had been unjustly placed to his discredit. The world was determined that he should be an outlaw. Very well, since there was no other way ...
He carne out of his dark musing to find that the word had been given and the herd was already on the move, the point riders leading the way, the swing and flank men stringing the cattle out into a long line. Two men looked after the 'drag,' and behind came the remuda, in charge of the horse-wrangler, and the wagon. The Great Adventure had begun.
Under the blazing sun the herd tramped steadily on. No great difficulty was anticipated until they crossed the Colorado River, the country south of that being familiar to most of the men. Nightfall found them camped near a little creek. From where the cattle were settling down came a somewhat cracked voice wailing the interminable verses of 'The Cowboy's Lament' and one of the men squatting at the fireside laughed.
'Lucky cows ain't got no ear for music,' he said. 'The Infant's screech would start a stampede.'
For Sudden, riding moodily round the herd, watching first one and then another sink down to sleep, the night brought only the opportunity to brood over his own troubles. Little more than hall a mile away he could see the gleam of the campfire ; if the men sitting round it knew who he was, they would hang him before dawn. And for this he had to thank Rogue, whom he was there to serve. Idly he wondered what the outlaw was doing, or about to do, and then swore savagely that he did not care. Which was not the truth.
Having watched the herd depart and waved an ironical farewell, Baudry turned his horse's head towards San Antonio. Five miles along the trail, squatting with his back against a spreading cedar, a man was waiting. Baudry got down, glad to avail himself of the shade.
'Well, Navajo, the S E drive has started,' he said. 'What are Rogue's plans?'
The half-breed grinned unpleasantly. 'yu better ask him,' he retorted. 'His word was that he'd do the job--his own way.'
The gambler's face reddened but he summoned a smile. 'Suits me, so long as it's done,' he replied. 'Sam seems pretty confident.'
'He ain't got a chanct,' the other stated.
'I think he has,' Baudry said coolly. 'In fact, I have so strong a belief in my friend Eden's courage and determination that I'd be willing to wager that he'll take his cattle through and return safely to his ranch.'
The ruffian laughed evilly. 'Shore yu would,' he sneered. 'How much?'
'One thousand dollars.'
'I'm takin' yore bet. Give it me in writin'--I got a shockin' memory.' The jeer in the man's voice was insulting but Baudry chose to ignore it.
'you needn't worry, I always pay my debts,' he said. Nevertheless, he wrote a few words in a notebook, tore out the page and passed it to the other. Navajo grinned as he tucked it away in a pocket.
'Money from home,' he chuckled. 'This ain't nothin' to do with Rogue, yu savvy? So long.'
The gambler stood watching his receding form, his thick lips set in grim threat.
'There's more than one way of paying a debt, you scum,' he snarled. 'When you've served your purpose
