“I feel better than I thought I would after all that rumpus,” admitted Bluff, as he capered about, trying to keep his muscles from getting stiff.

“We’ll look back to this day as one of the strangest in all our experience,” remarked Frank, hanging his wet garments where the sun would fall upon them, for the clouds had passed away, leaving a clear sky overhead.

“How much longer do we stay here?” asked Will, who had been doing some figuring.  “Because my films are getting low.  I have three rolls still at the ranch house, and when they’re exhausted my business is done.”

“Sorry to tell you, lads, that I had word from the house while you were gone, and it’s absolutely necessary for me to start back in the morning.  Now, if you would like to remain a little longer in camp, why, Reddy and Billy will keep you company.  Don’t give up unless you’re satisfied with what fun you’ve had,” said the stockman just then.

The boys looked at each other.

“I think we’ve seen enough of this life, and that there are dozens of things about the ranch we ought to know more about.  So I vote that we return with Mr. Mabie,” was Frank’s suggestion.

“Count me in that,” echoed Jerry.

“And I’m just wild to print a few of the remarkable pictures I’ve made up here, which I can’t do until we get back to the house; so I’m only too willing to say yes to the proposition,” put in Will.

“And I’m just as happy one place as the other, so long as the cook doesn’t strike, or put us on short rations,” added Bluff.

In this spirit of humor it was therefore decided that on the following morning they would break camp and return to the ranch.

“I feel that I’m cheating you out of some of your expected fun, boys,” apologized the stockman that evening, as they were packing some of their stuff, so as to lighten the labor in the morning.

“Why, I don’t know what else we could do here.  Seems to me we’ve about exhausted the list of excitements.  We’ve shot elk, grizzlies, a panther, a wolf, met up with Indians, been chased by a forest fire, soaked in the river and treed by a cloudburst.  There could hardly be anything more, sir,” laughed Frank.

“Well, I admit that you have made hay while the sun shone; and such a pushing lot of boys always will get all the fun there is going.  It’s been the happiest event of my last ten years of life to have you with me, and when you see my old side partner of long ago just tell him that I’ll never get over being thankful to him for having sent you up here to break the dreadful monotony of existence on a stock ranch.”

They passed a delightful evening.  The boys sang many of their school songs, and Bluff was induced to give a recitation, which called forth vociferous applause from the cowboy audience.

“I can see very plainly that you are going to make a worthy successor to that lawyer father of yours, Bluff,” declared Mr. Mabie as he clapped his hands.