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Thereupon Jean set forth down the valley, and tramped out and across and around, as much to scare ahatever had been after the stock as to look for the wounded calf More than once he heard cattleaway ahead of hi the dog would strike a trail But Shepp neither gave tongue nor caht Jean searched around until at last he stu in a little bare here water ran in wet seasons Big wolf tracks showed in the soft earth "Lofers," said Jean, as he knelt and just covered one track with his spread hand "We had wolves in Oregon, but not as big as these Wonder where that half-wolf dog, Shepp, went Wonder if he can be trusted where wolves are concerned I'll bet not, if there's a she-wolf runnin' around"

Jean found tracks of tolves, and he trailed theuided by their direction, he went on and climbed a slope to the cedar line, where in the dusty patches he found the tracks again "Not scaredtracks "Well, you old gray lofers, we're goin' to clash" Jean knew from many a futile hunt that wolves were the wariest and ent of wild animals in the quest From the top of a low foothill he watched the sun rise; and then no longer wondered why his father waxed eloquent over the beauty and location and luxuriance of this grassy valley But it was large enough to ood many ranchers Jean tried to restrain any curiosity as to his father's dealings in Grass Valley until the situation had been made clear

Moreover, Jean wanted to love this wonderful country He wanted to be free to ride and hunt and roa his father's clai ever turned out so badly as it presaged He would think the best until certain of the worst The listening wet on the stones Grass Valley shone like burnished silver dotted with innu their discordantin the fields; stallions histling; coere bawling A cloud of blue s away on the wind Far out in the valley a dark group of horsehtfully at them and reflected that he seee to hireen foothills leading up to the craggy slopes, and these ending in the Ried ht, lonely, serene, and es, distances unknown to Jean, always called to him--to come, to seek, to explore, to find, but no wild horizon ever before beckoned to hione to sleep with hily It took effort to dispel the desire to think, to wonder