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"Wal, Jean, ride around the range with the boys," said the rancher "Meet sohbors, Jim Blaisdell, in particular Take a look at the cattle An' pick out some hosses for yourself"

"I've seen one already," declared Jean, quickly "A black hite face I'll take him"

"Shore you know a hoss To ree Bill 'specially has degenerated into a fancier of pitchin' hosses Ann can ride that black You try him this mawnin' An', son, enjoy yourself"

True to his first impression, Jean named the black horse Whiteface and fell in love with hi over hientle He had been trained instead of being broken Of hard hits and quirts and spurs he had no experience He liked to do what his rider wanted hirassythem it was a pleasure to see stallions throw heads and ears up and whistle or snort Whole troops of colts and two-year-olds raced with flying tails and e, and Jean saw the gray-green expanse speckled by thousands of cattle The scene was inspiring Jean's brothers led hi some of the herders and riders erizzledin wind and sun and dust His name was Evans and he was father of the lad who the calf that had been killed by the wolves "See heah, y'u Jean Isbel," said Everts, "it shore was aboot time y'u come home We-all heahs y'u hev an eye fer tracks Wal, mebbe y'u can kill Old Gray, the lofer thet did this job He's pulled down nine calves as' yearlin's this last tworound-up"

Grass Valley widened to the southeast Jean would have been backward about estie so e Several ranches lay along the western slope of this section Jean was infor arass, had been settled by ranchers Every summer a fe fa a lionlike type of Texan, both in his broad, bold face, his huge head with its upstanding tawny hair like a mane, and in the speech and force that betokened the nature of his heart He was not as old as Jean's father He had a rolling voice, with the sa intonation characteristic of all Texans, and blue eyes that still held the fire of youth Quite a y, hard-jawed, intent-eyed un to accept as Texans