Chapter XXI

Life And Death

"The third group in the affray consisted of cow-
boys. Weary and bedraggled, yet joyous at
the suppression of the uprising, they set out for
home about noon. Stephen, mounted upon Pat,
accompanied them. They headed into the northwest,
riding slowly, talking over the affair, while
Stephen explained in part his interest in the black
horse. Night found them near a water-hole, and
here they went into camp, Stephen weak and
distressed, his whole body aching, his arm and
shoulder throbbing in agonizing pain. The men
proved attentive and considerate; but he lay
down exhausted and courted sleep, hardly hearing
what they said. Sleep came to him only fitfully,
and he was glad when break of day brought a
change. They rode on through the second day,
usually in sober silence, on into another dusk and
another night of torture. A third day and a third
dusk followed, but there was no camp this time.
Continuing forward, just before dawn, with the
moon brilliant in the heavens, they reached a
cluster of buildings. One of them was a dwelling
with a fence around it as a protection against

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v?