Suddenly a big hound dog that had crept up behind a near-by wagon roared his challenge and rushed the cat. Without hesitation, the cat jumped on Cindy's shoulders and turned to face his enemy. The dog charged angrily in, bowling Cindy over in the process. The cat snarled. There was a short, sharp fight on top of the prostrate youngster until, leaving the cat in full possession of the field, the dog ran howling away. Alec and his father, who had started running forward the instant the cat leaped, arrived to find Cindy picking herself up and brushing herself off. Her eyes were shining, and an excited smile trembled on her lips. "Oh boy!" she exclaimed. "What a fight!" "Are you hurt?" her father asked anxiously. "Me?" Cindy looked astonished that anyone should ask such a question. "Oh, no!" "Doggone!" Alec burst out. "If you fell in a rain barrel you'd come out with your pockets full of cookies!" "Of course," Cindy said sweetly. The cat resumed rubbing against her legs, and Cindy looked fondly at it. Sure that she was not hurt, and far too excited to stay in one place for very long, Jed Simpson walked over to discuss with Pete Brent plans that they had already discussed a dozen times. Alec smirked at his sister. "There's something I _will_ believe," he declared. "What?" Cindy asked. "The cat has cat's eyes." Cindy made a face. "Funny boy! That man's eyes were just like the cat's!" "You're sure?" Alec asked. "Very sure," Cindy said firmly. "I wish I could find him again." "Seems he's 'being ware' of us. Guess your magic must have scared him away. Let's take a walk," Alec suggested. "Let's get Mindy to go with us," Cindy said eagerly. "Mindy's sewing," Alec said, and added smugly, "a proper pastime for a girl." "I can sew too, smartypants," Cindy declared. "Then why don't you?" Cindy laughed. "I'd rather do almost anything else. Come on. Let's walk." They strolled among the camps and wagons, and it seemed that every day brought more people who were determined to claim the free land in Oklahoma. A creaking wagon drawn by six oxen and commanded by a bearded man carrying an ox goad came in and stopped. The man smoothed his beard with his fingers. "How far to Oklahoma?" he called to a man who was soaping a saddle. "Hundred yards," the man said without looking up. The ox driver stared across the border. He said, as though he had reason to doubt it, "So that's Oklahoma?" "Yup," the other man continued industriously to soap his saddle, "an' you better not cross afore noon tomorra. They're kickin' more Sooners out every day." Cindy shivered. "It's so exciting!" she exclaimed. "Sure is!" Alec glowed.