"That mostly depends on how many things there are chasing around in his brain-box to keep the works busy," he said gently.

The stranger's smile broadened into a laugh.

"That don't offer much hope," he replied dryly. "I've been riding around this eternal gra.s.s for nigh a week. G.o.d knows where I haven't been during that time. n.o.body ever did brag about the ideas I've got in my head, not even my mother, and any I have got have just been chewed right up to death till there isn't a blamed thing left to chew.

For the past ten miles I've been reviewing the attractions of every nursing home I've ever heard of, with a view to becoming an inmate. I think I've almost decided on one I know of in Toronto. You see there are a few human beings there."

Fyles's eyes had taken in the stranger from head to foot. Even the horse did not escape his closest attention. He recognized this man as being a stranger in the country. He was obviously direct from some eastern city, though not aggressively so. Furthermore, the beautiful chestnut horse he was riding was no prairie-bred animal, and suggested, in combination with the man's general get-up, the possession of ample means.

"A week riding about--trying to find yourself?"

Fyles's question was one of amused speculation.

"Sure," the man nodded, with a buoyant amus.e.m.e.nt in his eyes. "That, and finding some forgotten hole of a place called Rocky Springs."

Fyles lifted his reins and his horse moved on.

"We'd best ride together. I'm going to Rocky Springs, and--you've certainly hit the trail at last."

The fair-haired giant jumped at the suggestion, and even his horse seemed to welcome the companionship, for it ambled on in the friendliest manner by the side of the police horse.

"How did you manage to--lose yourself?" Fyles inquired presently. "Did you start out from Amberley?"

The stranger's look of chagrin was almost comical. He shook his head.

"That's where I ought to've started from," he said. Then he shrugged his great shoulders. "Here, I'll tell you. I come from down East, and I'm on my way to join a brother of mine at Rocky Springs. He's a rancher. Sort of artist, too. His name's Charlie Bryant. My name's Bill--Bill Bryant. Well, I ought to have got off at Black Cross, and changed trains for the Amberley branch. Instead of that I was sleeping peacefully in the car and went right on to a place called Moosemin.

Well, some torn fool told me if I got off at Moosemin I would get across country to Amberley, and thus get on to the Rocky Springs road.

Maybe he was right enough, if the feller getting off had got any horse sense. But I guess they forgot to hand any out my way. Anyhow, I kind of took to the idea. Guessed I'd make a break that way and get used to the country. So I just bought the best horse I could find in the town from the worst thief that ever dodged penitentiary, and since then have spent seven whole days getting on intimate terms with every blade of gra.s.s in the country, and trying to convince various settlers that I wasn't a murderer or horse thief, and didn't want to shoot 'em in their beds, but just needed food and sleep, all of which I was ready to pay for at any fancy prices they liked to ask. How I eventually got here I don't know, and haven't a desire to know, and I'll stake my oath you won't find any two people in the country with the same ideas of direction. And I want to say that I hate gra.s.s worse than poison, and as for sun it's an abomination. Horse riding's overrated, and tailors don't know a thing about making pants that are comfortable riding. I could write a book on the subject of boils and saddle chafes, and when I get off this blamed saddle I don't intend to sit down for a week. I think a rancher's life is just the dandiest thing to read about I ever knew, and beans--those things the shape of an immature egg and as hard as rocks--are most nourishing; and I don't think I shall need nourishing ever again. Also the West is the greatest country ever forgotten by G.o.d or men, but the remark applies only to its size. The best thing I know of, just now, is a full-sized human being going the same way I am."

Bill Bryant finished up with a great laugh of the happiest good nature, which quite robbed Fyles of his last shadow of aloofness. No one could have looked into the man's humorously smiling eyes, or listened to the frank admissions of his own blundering, and felt it necessary to entertain the least question as to his perfect honesty.

Fyles accepted the introduction in the spirit in which it was made.

"My name's Fyles--Stanley Fyles," he said cordially. "Glad to meet you, Mr. Bryant."

"Bill Bryant," corrected the other, grasping and wringing the policeman's proffered hand with painful cordiality. "That's a good name--Fyles," he went on, releasing the other's hand. "Suggests all sorts of things--nails, chisels--something in the hardware line. Good name for this country, too." Then his big blue eyes scanned the officer's outfit. "Rancher?" he suggested.

Fyles smiled, shaking his head.

"Hardly a--rancher," he deprecated.

"Ah. I know. Cowpuncher. You're dressed that way. I've read about 'em.

Chasing cattle. Rounding 'em up. Branding, and all that sort of thing.

Fine. Exciting."

Fyles shook his head again.

"My job's not just that, either," he said, his smile broadening. "You see, I just round up 'strays,' and send 'em to their right homes. I'm out after 'strays' now."

Bill nodded with ready understanding.

"I get it," he cried. "They just break out in spring, and go chasing after fancy gra.s.s. Then they get lost, or mussed up with ether cattle, and--and need sorting out. Must be a mighty lonesome job--always hunting 'strays.'"

Inspector Fyles's eyes twinkled, but his sunburned face remained serious.

"Yes, I'd say it's lonesome--at times. You see, it isn't easy locating their tracks. And when you do locate 'em maybe you've got a long piece to travel before you come up with 'em. They get mighty wild running loose that way, and, hate being rounded up. Some of 'em show fight, and things get busy. No, it's not dead easy--and it doesn't do making mistakes. Guess a mistake is liable to snuff your light out when you're up against 'strays.'"

A sudden enthusiasm lit Bill Bryant's interested eyes.

"That sounds better than ranching," he said quickly. "You see, I've lived a soft sort of life, and it kind of seems good to get upsides with things. I've got a notion that it's better to hand a feller a nasty bunch of knuckles, square on the most prominent part of his face, than taking dollars out of him to pay legal chin waggers. That's how I've always felt, but living in luxury in a city makes you act otherwise. I've quit it though, now, and, in consequence, I'm just busting to hand some fellow that bunch of knuckles." He raised one great clenched fist and examined it with a sort of mild enthusiasm.

"I'm going to ranch," he went on simply, while the police officer surveyed him as he might some big, boisterous child. "My brother's got a ranch at Rocky Springs. He's done pretty well, I guess--for an artist fellow. He's making money--oh, yes, he's making good money, and seems to like the life.

"The fact is," he went on eagerly, "Charlie was a bit of a bad boy--he's a dandy good fellow, really he is; but I guess he got gay when he was an art student, and the old man got rattled over it and sent him along out here to raise cattle and wheat. Well, when dad died he left me most of his dollars. There were plenty, and it's made me feel sick he forgot Charlie's existence. So I took a big think over things. You see it makes a fellow think, when he finds himself with a lot of dollars that ought to be shared with another fellow.

"Well, I don't often think hard," he went on ingenuously. "But I did that time, and it's queer how easy it is to think right when you really try--hard. Guess you don't need to think much in your work--but maybe sometimes you'll have to, and then you'll find how easy it comes."

He turned abruptly in the saddle and looked straight into the officer's interested face. His eyes were alight, and he emitted a deep-throated guffaw.

"Say," he went on, "it came to me all of a sudden. It was in the middle of the night. I woke up thinking it. I was saying it to myself.

Why not go out West? Join Charlie. Put all your money into his ranch.

Turn it into a swell affair, and run it together. That way it'll seem as if you were doing it for yourself. That way Charlie'll never know you're handing him a fortune. Can you beat it?" he finished up triumphantly.

Stanley Fyles had not often met men in the course of his sordid work with whom he really wanted to shake hands. But somehow this great, soft-hearted, simple giant made him feel as he had never felt before.

He abruptly thrust out a hand, forgetful of the previous handshakes he had endured, and, in a moment, it was seized in a second vice-like grip.

"It's fine," he said. Then as an afterthought: "No, you can't beat it."

The unconscious Bill beamed his satisfaction.

"That's how I thought," he said enthusiastically. "And I'll be mighty useful to him, myself, too--in a way. Don't guess I know much about wheat or cattle, but I can ride anything with hair on it, and I've never seen the feller I couldn't pound to a mush with the gloves on.

That's useful, seeing Charlie's sort of small, and--and mild."

Suddenly he pointed out ahead. "What's that standing right up there?

See, over there. A tree--or--something."

Fyles abruptly awoke to their whereabouts. Bill Bryant was pointing at the great pine marking Rocky Springs.

"That's the landmark of Rocky Springs," he told him. This stranger had so interested and amused him that he had quite lost reckoning of the distance they had ridden together.

"I don't see any town," complained his companion.

"It's in the valley. You see, that tree is on the shoulder of the valley of Leaping Creek."

Bill's eyes widened.

"Oh, that's a valley, eh? And Charlie's ranch is down below. I see."

The man's eyes became thoughtful, and he relapsed into silence as they drew on toward the aged signpost. He was thinking--perhaps hard--of that brother whom he had not seen for years. Maybe, now that the time had come for the meeting, some feeling of nervousness was growing.

Perhaps he was wondering if he would be as welcome as he hoped. Had Charlie changed much? Would his coming be deemed an impertinence?

Charlie had not answered his letter. He forgot his brother had not had time to answer his impulsive epistle.