W 



RECREATION. 



them. I will cross the gulch and go 

 over that ridge, keeping out of sight 

 till you get around on the other side 

 of them and give them a start. If they 

 start down the gulch don't crowd 

 them, but let them take their time. 

 They will cross to my side 3 or 4 

 miles farther down, and I will ride 

 alongside them into Nowood. There 

 you must be on hand, for they will 

 cross and take back up the divide on 

 your side." 



"All right," said Harve. "I shall 

 fire them down that creek if that is all 

 you want." 



Throwing them down the gulch 

 proved more of a job than Harve an- 

 ticipated. I went leisurely across the 

 creek 2 miles below the horses and 

 waited for the fun to commence. In 

 half an hour I saw Harve's gray 

 horse on the ridge directly back of 

 the wild bunch. He was barely in 

 sight when the bunch ran up to- 

 gether, stopped a moment, and then 

 started off up the creek. Harve, on 

 Mesquite, had a hard run to head and 

 turn them, but he succeeded, and then 

 down they came past me. I galloped 

 parallel with them, but out of sight 

 behind a ridge, to the opening of the 

 big trails from the creek crossing. 

 There I was when Mother Rice led 

 her band out before me. 



When the old mare found me di- 

 rectly in her path she stopped, and a 

 long, loud snort warned the rest of 

 the bunch that there was trouble 

 ahead. I was at a wide place in the 

 ridge, and the old mare seemed in- 

 clined to pass me. I pulled out my 6- 

 shooter, and made up my mind that 

 if she passed me I would interfere 

 with her internal mechanism anyhow ; 

 but she seemed to think better of it. 

 She turned back down the ridge and 

 struck her long lope, with the rest of 

 the bunch at her heels in single file. I 

 knew I had one bad place to watch, 

 where the trails from the next water 

 hole below crossed the ridge. The 

 horses would probably start North- 



ward on them while I wanted them to 

 go on due East. I rode hard when 

 down in the low places out of sight 

 of the bunch and slowly when up in 

 sight of them, so I was close to them 

 at the next trails. When I bobbed up 

 ahead of them they were much sur- 

 prised. Five or 6 miles farther would 

 take us down to Nowood. There they 

 would cross Buffalo creek and try to 

 go back on the other side, so I de- 

 termined to crowd them, hoping to 

 prevent that. As I turned them the 

 last time down into Buffalo creek I 

 looked across and saw Harve on the 

 ridge on the other side. I said to my- 

 self : 



"Mother Rice, your days in the 

 badlands are over." 



I pulled up and watched the per- 

 formance, for when Harve turned 

 them there we would have them in a 

 canyon leading down to Nowood. 

 They would be off their range, and 

 we would have no more serious trou- 

 ble till we got to the corral. Harve 

 saw them coming and got in the 

 place where he would have the great- 

 est advantage. He had not long to 

 wait. They came on to the ridge 

 and found Harve and Mesquite right 

 in front of them. They stopped and 

 turned around once or twice ; then 

 the old brown mare made a break 

 for business. 



Harve tried to head her off, but 

 she dodged in behind him and was 

 off up the ridge like a steam engine, 

 with Harve in hot pursuit, trying to 

 get close enough to rope her. No go. 

 She left him. We succeeded in get- 

 ting the others into the corral, and 

 what a satisfaction it was ! We had 

 captured one mare I had not seen for 

 3 years. I had supposed she was dead. 

 It was a good day's work to get her. 



I proposed to give Wagon a rest 

 by riding for the remainder of the 

 journey one of the captives which 

 bore saddle marks. 



"All right," said Harve. "You 

 can ride one of them old brutes if 



