There was much to do at the ranch, from rounding up cattle, looking after strays and branding, to making shipments. Dave found his time fully occupied, and he saw little of Len and his crony. But one day Len and Dave had a "run-in." Dave, who was riding range, came upon Len in the act of beating his horse. It seems the animal had stepped into a hole and thrown the bully, who, in retaliation, mistreated the animal shamefully. "Here! You quit that!" ordered Dave, riding up. "What for?" sneered Len. "Because I say so!" "He isn't your horse." "That may be, but I'm not going to see you abuse him that way. You quit, or I'll give you the worst licking you ever had." "You will; eh? Mr. Nobody!" sneered Len. "You will?" "Yes, I will!" and Dave strode forward with such a fierce look on his face that Len hastily left off beating his poor steed and fled. "Oh! I'll fix you yet!" Len cried, when, at a safe distance, he paused to turn and shake his fist at Dave. "The mean hound!" muttered Dave. It was about a week after this that Dave rode over to a small corral where some choice cattle were quartered. These had been cut out and herded by themselves, to get ready for a special shipment. Dave wanted to see if the fence and gate were sufficiently strong. He rode around the corral, and was soon satisfied that all was right. He was riding away over the plain, glad to be able to report to Mr. Carson that the cattle were in fine shape for shipment, when a sudden noise caused him to turn around. To Dave's surprise he saw the cattle, in a small stampede, rushing from the corral, straight toward him in an overwhelming mass. Dave hesitated but a moment, and then clapping spurs to his horse he wheeled and rode straight at the oncoming steers, shouting and waving his hat in one hand, while with the other he fired shot after shot from his big revolver. CHAPTER V TREACHERY "Don't fall now, Crow! Don't you dare to stumble!" breathed Dave, leaning over to speak into the very ear of his coal-black steed. "Don't step in any holes and throw me. For if you do, it's all up with both of us!" Yet, knowing that danger as he did, Dave never for an instant faltered. He was going to stop that stampede and drive back the valuable cattle before they could stray and get far out on the range or among the wild hills where they would lose much of their prime condition that would insure a good price. Dave was going to stop that stampede though he took his life in his hands to do it. And for what? he might have reflected. To save the property of a man who was no relation to him. Yet never for an instant did Dave ask this question of himself. It never entered his mind. For the time being he had forgotten that Mr. Carson was not his father. "I'm going to save those cattle!" Dave murmured over and over again, as he neared the frightened, tumultuous mass of steers. "But don't you stumble with me, Crow!"