So the chums, without further permission than Nat's idea that it would be all right, saddled their horses, Jack taking the black which he had come to like very much. They rode from the corral and out on the road that led to the north where the upper range lay. The lads at once found themselves in the rear of a galloping throng of cowboys. "Come on, let's get up ahead," shouted Nat, and they urged their horses forward, passing the others. When they were almost in the van a voice hailed them: "Where you boys going?" They turned, to see Mr. Kent riding toward them. "Oh," said Nat, a little confused. "We thought you'd want us to go to learn how to manage a herd of cattle." "Manage stampeding cattle," muttered Mr. Kent. "You boys must be crazy. But it's too late to send you back, I suppose. Only don't ride your horses to death the first thing. You've got lots of work ahead of you." With this encouragement the chums dropped back, listening to the talk of the cowboys about what was ahead of them. "Remember the last stampede," one tall lanky rider asked his neighbor, who was nearly the same build. "The one where Loony Pete was trampled to death?" "That's the one. The steers sure made mincemeat of him all right. Hope no one gets down under foot this trip." The boys looked at each other. This was a more dangerous undertaking than they had anticipated. The riders advanced at an even, if not rapid pace. The cowboys as their horses ambled on were loading revolvers, looking to their lariats, tightening the packs which they carried on the back of their saddles, and making ready for the hard task ahead of them. From listening to the talk, the boys learned that the upper range was about five miles distant, and was where the choicest cattle were herded, preparatory to being shipped away. The range was a big one, but, about ten miles from it, was a deep and dangerous canyon, at the beginning of the hills, which as they grew larger became the range of Golden Glow mountains. It was toward this canyon that the steers were headed, in a wild, unreasoning rush. It seemed impossible for the cowboys to get ahead of them in time to head them off. But the cattle had a longer way to travel than did the men, and the latter could take a diagonal course and, if they had luck, reach the edge of the canyon first. It was planned to get between the oncoming herd and the edge of the gulch, and turn the steers back, if possible. "Better hit up the pace!" exclaimed Mr. Kent, when they had ridden several miles. "We don't want to be too late." The boys, realized, as did the men, that if the cattle, in their rush, reached the canyon, they would pile up in the bottom, and hundreds would be killed.