Sheepy frowned. "Cattlemen claimed the sheep had crossed the dead line. Cattlemen are always claimin' that, and they push the line further and further in on the sheep and claim more of the range every year. They do here. They did down in Oklahomy. The sheep owners and cattlemen had a row at the big cattle round-up on the North Fork. It was after the round-up, when the cow punchers was feelin' pretty gay and let themselves loose, that them four drove old man Quinn's sheep over the bluff." There was a pause, and then Sheepy went back to the original subject. "The feller that looked like him and rode like him," jerking his thumb over his shoulder, "used to ride past when I was shakin' grub in my wagon. He used t' go grinnin' mostly and starin' at his hoss' ears. And he alus went with his fixin's on, tan chaps and a red silk 'kerchief 'round his neck and Indian gloves with these here colored gauntlets. Oh, he struck the trail in his good togs all right--bet he went t' see some girl 'r other!" This was the last information that Ross received from Sheepy for several months. The following morning there arrived from Cody a supply wagon which replenished the sheep-herder's larder, and then, the sheep having eaten the range bare for miles around the dugout, the canvas-topped wagon was attached to the supply wagon and drawn to another hilltop ten miles away. With it went Sheepy only faintly regretting the loss of companionship at the dugout. The seven hundred sheep that his dog rounded up and drove in advance of the wagons were the companions with which he was best acquainted. "It wouldn't ha' been a bad idee," Hank remarked when the last bleat died away in the distance, "if Sheepy could ha' stayed all winter. He ain't generally long on talk--none of them herders be--but he was some one t' have around, and once in a while his tongue breaks loose." Ross drew a long breath and thought of Meadow Creek. In the afternoon Hank resumed his repairs on the corral, leaving Weston asleep and Ross kneeling beside his medicine chest sorting its contents. The sorting done, the boy arose noiselessly and closed the lid of the chest. Then, turning, he looked down on the head of the sleeper. For the first time he noticed that Weston's hair, thick and unkempt, was dull in color and had a dead look at variance with its evident health. Tiptoeing across the floor he bent over the recumbent man and gently raising a lock of his hair looked wonderingly at the roots. The sight caused him to utter an exclamation which disturbed the sleeper. He straightened himself and stepped back precipitately. The hair was tow-colored at the roots. CHAPTER IV THE FOURTH MAN ROSS stood motionless until Weston, muttering and turning his head from side to side, gradually came to rest again and fell into a deeper sleep. Then the boy went outside and sat down on the bench. "It's easy enough to put two and two together," he muttered.