"I'm glad," said Alec. "Have you seen my sister?"
"Sister?" the old man asked. Then, "Oh! That purty leetle gal what used
'ter walk with ye on the border? Nope. Haven't seen hide nor hair of
her."
"Thanks," said Alec.
His hopes dashed, but without even a thought of giving up, Alec rode
grimly on. It would be nice to find someone who had seen and recognized
Cindy, and who could tell him the direction in which she had gone. But
even if nobody could tell him about his sister, Alec would find her. It
was his job.
Alec saw a man with a cocked rifle in his hands. He was pointing the
weapon at the mid-section of another man, and both were still as
statues. Then the threatened man turned angrily and started walking
away. The man with the rifle called, "Next time, I pull the trigger!
I'll shoot you or any other claim jumper!"
Farther on Alec found a big man and a lean one with linked arms. Each
man had two black eyes. Both were spattered with blood. Their shirts
were in ribbons, and bruised flesh showed through. They were the same
men Cindy had passed; the lean one had thrown his pack away and
challenged the big one for his claim.
The lean man said admiringly, "Nothin' like a little fight to clear the
air, Jud boy!"
[Illustration: _"Nothin' like a little fight to clear the air, Jud
boy!"_]
"Sure ain't, Al boy!" the big man said. "Sure glad we met!"
"Me too!" the lean man said. "You'n me, we'll make this the best darn'
farm in Oklahoma, Jud boy!"
"Al boy, you're sure 'nough right!" the big man said.
Carrots broke into a trot, and Alec let him go. He hadn't the least idea
of where he would sleep tonight or what he would eat, but he was not
going back to the wagon without finding Cindy. His mother would worry if
he did not return. But she would worry just as much if Cindy stayed
lost. Working southward, Alec swung back and forth.
Evening shadows were long when he saw someone else he knew. It was the
bearded man with the race horse. Alec rode straight toward him. The
bearded man was always unfriendly. But if he had news of Cindy, Alec
must have it. However, now that he had his land and no longer had to
worry about getting some, the man was not unfriendly any more.
"Hello," he said.
"Hello," Alec replied. "Have you seen my sister?"
"Sure have!" the bearded man said cheerfully. "She caught up with your
dad an' the man from the wagon next to yours right here on my claim. She
was ridin' a roan pony, an' so was t'other man. Your dad had his
palomino mare. They said they was goin' on."
"You're sure?" Alec inquired.
"Dead sure. Saw 'em with my own eyes," the bearded man said.
"Thanks," said Alec.
Even as he spoke, he was turning Carrots and galloping full speed back
to the Simpson wagon. When he reached it, not taking time to dismount,
he shouted his happy news from the pony's back. "It's all right, Mother!
Cindy's with Dad!"