CHAPTER XXIV.

What makes A man.

Mr. Matthews and his son finished their planting early in the afternoon and the boy set out to find old Kate and the mule colt.  Those rovers had not appeared at the home place for nearly two weeks, and some one must bring them in before they forgot their home completely.

“Don’t mind if I ain’t back for supper, Mother,” said Young Matt.  “I may eat at the ranch with Dad.  I ain’t been down there for quite a spell now, an’ I’d kind o’ like to know if that panther we’ve been a hearin’ is givin’ Dad any trouble.”

“Dad told me yesterday that he thought he heard old Kate’s bell over on yon side of Cox’s Bald,” said Mr. Matthews; “I believe if I was you I’d take across Cox’s, along the far side of th’ ridge, around Dewey an’ down into the Hollow that way.  Joe Gardner was over north yesterday, an’ he said he didn’t see no signs on that range.  I reckon you’ll find ’em on Dewey somewheres about Jim Lane’s, maybe.  You’d better saddle a horse.”

“No, I’ll take it a foot.  I can ride old Kate in, if I find them,” replied the big fellow; and, with his rifle in the hollow of his arm, he struck out over the hills.  All along the eastern slope of the ridge, that forms one side of Mutton Hollow, he searched for the missing stock, but not a sound of the bell could he hear; not a trace of the vagabonds could he find.  And that was because old Kate and the little colt were standing quietly in the shade in a little glen below Sand Ridge not a quarter of a mile from the barn.

The afternoon was well on when Young Matt gave up the search, and shaped his course for the sheep ranch.  He was on the farther side of Dewey, and the sun told him that there was just time enough to reach the cabin before supper.

Pushing straight up the side of the mountain, he found the narrow bench, that runs like a great cornice two-thirds of the way around the Bald Knob.  The mountaineer knew that at that level, on the side opposite from where he stood, was Sammy’s Lookout, and from there it was an easy road down to the sheep ranch in the valley.  Also, he knew that from that rocky shelf, all along the southern side of the mountain, he would look down upon Sammy’s home; and, who could tell, he might even catch a glimpse of Sammy herself.  Very soon he rounded the turn of the hill, and saw far below the Lane homestead; the cabin and the barn in the little clearing looking like tiny doll houses.

Young Matt walked slowly now.  The supper was forgotten.  Coming to the clump of cedars just above the Old Trail where it turns the shoulder of the hill from the west, he stopped for a last look.  Beyond this point, he would turn his back upon the scene that interested him so deeply.