Part 16 (1/2)

But I am not going to give you all the details of that fight which was soon over. Len, bruised and sore, cried out that he had had enough.

”That'll teach you to behave after this, I guess,” said Dave, as he moved over toward his horse.

Len did not answer for a moment. He, too, approached his steed. And when he was mounted he cast a look full of anger and hate at Dave, and said:

”You wait! I'll get even with you yet!”

It was the usual retort of a sneak and coward.

”You had your chance,” said Dave, grimly. ”If you couldn't take advantage of it that's not my fault.”

Then he rode off, collected the strays he was looking for, and made his way back to the ranch.

”What's the matter, Dave?” asked Pocus Pete, as he saw the lad leap from his pony. ”Did you have a fall?”

”No, it was the other fellow,” was the grim answer.

”Len?”

”Yes.”

”Does he look anything like you?”

”Worse!”

Dave's face was scratched and one eye bruised.

”Well, I s'pose it had to be,” chuckled Pocus Pete. ”What'd he do, try to rope you?”

”No. He wouldn't have much chance at that, even if I was not on Crow.”

Then Dave told the story of the encounter.

”Well,” said Peter reflectively, ”I reckon, just as some one said about dogs, that a certain amount of fleas was good for 'em, a little fightin'

is good for some fellows. Are you sure Len got enough?” he asked anxiously.

”He said so,” replied Dave, sententiously.

”Well, he ought to know,” was Pete's dry comment.

Life at Bar U ranch went on in much the same way for many days. There was a great deal of work to be done, and Dave did his share. But, all the while, he could not shake from his mind the memory of the revealed secret regarding himself.

”I wonder who I am?” he asked himself again and again. But he could not answer. He made up his mind that some day he would have a long talk with Mr. Carson, and see if there was not some way in which clews to his lost parents could be obtained.

”There must be some,” reflected Dave.

Mr. Bellmore had almost recovered now. He could ride his horse about, and often accompanied Dave on the latter's trips. The Chicago man could limp about fairly well, but in the West, at least on the cattle ranges, little walking is done. If a person has only to go across the street it is the most natural thing in the world to leap to the saddle to cover the distance.

”Well, I think I must get busy on that water business now,” said Mr.