ponies set out on the long ride back to camp, accompanied by such of the
ranchmen as could tear themselves away so early. They straggled in singly
and in couples all the next day, and it was almost a week before the
affairs of the ranch settled down into their usual well-ordered
condition.

From that time on, the regard in which the three comrades were held by
the rough Westerners never wavered, and the cowboys never wearied of
discussing again and again the details of the great race that clipped the
wings of the "townies."




CHAPTER VII

The Wolf Pack


One evening not long after their arrival at the camp the three friends,
wearied after a day of strenuous activity, were whiling away the time in
reminiscences of some of their past adventures. Mr. Melton, who made one
of the little group, listened in an interested fashion, and seemed little
disposed to interrupt the draught of "memories' mellow vine."

After a while they ceased talking, and a short silence ensued, which was
abruptly broken by Bert.

"Look here, fellows," he exclaimed, "here we are monopolizing the
conversation, when we might be listening to some really interesting story