Assured that the rest of the outfit was out of sight beyond the hill, Gonzalez left the steer to its own devices and galloped straight toward and behind the kneeling figure, his long knife drawn but concealed against his leg. Conrad's attention was engrossed in what he was doing and his thoughts were all of Lucy Bancroft, of how pleased she would be to get this rare specimen, and of how necessary it would be for him to help her plant it. José checked his horse into a walk and leaned forward, his eyes fastened on the other's back, his knife lying half hidden in his palm. On the soft ground the hoof-beats of the horse made little sound and their faint, unresounding thud was masked by the noises from the moving herd. Gonzalez drew rein within a few yards of his object and lifted his arm, with the knife balanced in his hand. At that instant the steer bellowed, and Curtis leaped to his feet, on the alert at once lest something had gone wrong with the herd. He saw the single steer and, wheeling around to look for others, his glance took in the Mexican, swerving his horse down the hill and deftly returning the knife to his belt. "Are you after the steer, José?" he called. "Is that the only one loose?" "Yes, señor. The rest are all right. This one has given me a chase, but I'll have him back right away." "Stop a minute, José. Would you mind letting me use your knife? Mine's too short and I haven't anything else." Gonzalez rode up, dismounted, and held out the knife with a courteous smile. As he stood back with one leg forward, arms folded, and head held high, Curtis thought him an image of dashing, picturesque, masculine comeliness. "José," he said, "how did you get such skill in throwing the knife? I never saw anybody do the trick better than you did it last night. I shouldn't like to have you," and he smiled as he returned the weapon, "aim this thing at me as you did at that polecat." An answering smile flashed over José's dark face, lighting up his eyes and showing a row of white teeth beneath his moustache. "I have practised it much, señor. It is not easy." The next day, Conrad, Gonzalez, and several others were getting together some cattle in the foot-hills when three of the largest steers broke away and raced wildly back toward their grazing grounds. The superintendent called the Mexican to help him, and told the others to take the remainder of the cattle, with all they might find on the way, back to the day herd.