M SADDLE AND CAMP 



lie and watch the stars, so low that tall pine 

 tops seemed almost to touch them, until sleep 



claimed us. 



When we arose at daybreak John's horse and 

 Billy were grazing nearby, but Button was no- 

 where to be seen. Everywhere we searched for 

 him, but he had vanished. We saddled the two 

 horses and rode back to Pinetop to inquire 

 whether anyone had observed the runaway pass- 

 ing through the settlement. No one had seen 

 him and the man who kept the little store as- 

 sured us that he had certainly not passed that 

 way. 



Then John resorted to woodcraft and pro- 

 ceeded to search for tracks of a hobbled horse. 

 Presently he discovered the trail where Button 

 had cut around the village to avoid detection 

 and turned into the main trail again, some dis- 

 tance below. This trail he followed for several 

 miles and finally overtook Button, as he ex- 

 pressed it, "hitting out for Taylor as though the 

 devil was after him." 



Button's escapade delayed us half a day, and 

 it was well in the afternoon when we reached 

 the Cooley ranch — the Cooley of Show Low 

 fame. The ranch is a large one, situated on the 

 Apache Indian reservation. Mr. Cooley has 

 an Apache wife, and through this connection 



