“We were,” Roy answered, speaking for the first time. A puzzled frown creased his forehead. Somehow, these rescuers were sneeringly contemptuous of the thing they had done, as though the two lives they had saved scarcely mattered. But at all events they had prevented a dangerous, if not fatal, issue, and Roy’s face cleared as he held out his hand. “We owe you plenty,” he said heartily. “My brother’s pony would never have been able to make the top of this hill--he went lame. I’m afraid to imagine what would have been the outcome of a scrap with those crazy animals.” Teddy, who was staring hard at the Lefton brothers, shoved his gun back in the holster and likewise held out his hand, which was grasped by each in turn, as Roy’s had been. “We were ahead of them, with a fair chance of escape, when my bronc stumbled in a hole,” the boy explained. “Not enough to throw me, but I knew if I forced him he’d cave in. So we turned and decided to fight it out.” “Pretty sights you’d be if we hadn’t come along,” Mob Jamisson declared. He glanced down at Teddy’s horse. “Left front, ain’t it? Better get off an’ see if it’ll last you till you get to the--till you get home.” “We’re from the X Bar X,” Teddy said, watching the man closely. “You’ve heard of it?” “Slightly,” Mob drawled. He rolled and lit a cigarette. “Well, the excitement seems to be about over. Where’d you pick up them wolves, anyhow? Didn’t know they ever traveled much in this country.” “Neither did we,” Roy answered. “We saw one, and decided to get him, and before we knew what was happening the whole pack was on top of us. They ran us ragged.” Jerry Lefton, the shorter of the two brothers, spoke for the first time. “If you want to,” he said, “you can come over to our camp and rest your bronc.” “That’s nice of you,” Teddy answered. “But it’s getting pretty late. Say, by the way, I thought we had a date with you fellows this evening to talk over a cattle deal? We were hurrying home, trying to make it on time--” “Teddy, I think we’d better rest Flash a bit,” Roy interrupted hastily. “Which way is your camp? If it isn’t too much trouble--” “None at all,” Mob declared. “Guess you can pay for what you eat.” Teddy and Roy stared at him in surprise, and Jerry Lefton made haste to put in: “He was just fooling. We’ll be glad to have you. Over this way ’bout a mile. Guess your bronc can make that all right.” “Sure,” Teddy answered. “He’s not hurt badly.” A question was trembling on his lips, but, noticing Roy’s face, he refrained from asking it. “Those wolves will wander away soon,” the boy substituted. “I don’t reckon they’ll hang around here.” “Not long,” Bill Lefton, he with the wart on his nose, added. “They travel where there’s the most chance for food. Say, your range is near here, isn’t it? Hope your cattle stay bunched. I pity the cow that walks alone with that pack around.” “They’ll bunch,” Teddy declared shortly. “We don’t aim to have any of ’em injured, or taken.”