Tex lowered his rifle. His eyes were on the black stallion and there was an excited gleam in them. He had never seen such a magnificent beast or such a feat of reckless daring. But all these feelings were over-shadowed by something else. He was looking at the long legs, the powerful chest, and the slender body of the stallion. He was sure he knew the sire and the dam who had brought him into the world. Here was the son of the chestnut stallion and Lady Ebony! He wet his lips and then grinned eagerly. He did not give the escape of a small part of the herd any thought. His mind was making plans, leaping ahead to what he would tell Major Howard. He was remembering the voice of Sam saying that Lady Ebony would come back to the high country. He was roused by Shorty’s amused voice. “What’s eatin’ you? You look like you was seein’ angels or somethin’. Me, I’m plumb sick to my stummick.” Shorty moved over to where he could see the trail the band had made in escaping. He bent forward and stared at it. “You don’t mean to say some of ’em went over the side here?” Tex nodded, reloaded his carbine, and made ready to end the misery of the mare who had broken her leg. “How many got away?” Shorty asked. He had a sudden suspicion that Tex had not taken full advantage of his chance to clean out the band. Certainly the slope where the wild ones had plunged down to safety was open and within easy range of the spot where Tex was planted. “Ten head and a stud,” Tex said and spoke as though to himself. “Must have been a fire-eater of a stud to force them mares down over a cliff like that,” Shorty said with a quick grin. “He’s a fire-eater,” Tex agreed softly. The other boys had ridden up and were looking at the trail. Cal spoke in his slow drawl. “I passed up one shot an’ you can report it to the major if you want. I had a broadside at a black stud but jest couldn’t find my sights for watchin’ him tear into those mares.” “That stud learned something here today that he won’t forget,” Tex said grimly. “I’ll bet a month’s pay we don’t ever catch that bunch in a place like this again,” Shorty said. The others grinned. They knew the stallion would be wiser and more wary now that he had met the guns of men. They were not sorry he had got away. Any horse that would lead a crazy charge down the face of a brush-matted cliff deserved a break and was no scrub. One of the others said: “I caught a glimpse of him through the dust. He’d make any of the major’s blooded stuff look like a broom tail if they were stood up side by side. Can’t figure where such a hoss could have come from, must be a freak.” Tex grinned but said nothing. He knew where the big black came from. As he moved away he remarked: “I reckon he might have some good blood in him.” A plan was forming in the mind of the range boss and he was eager to work it out. He wanted to be alone so that he could get it all ready. He turned to his men.