Noon
There are so many little things that may come in handy . '' The second morning out from the station , Priest bore off on a course that would land him well above the grove on the Beaver . He had never been over the range , and not wishing to waste a day with a loaded wagon , he angled away for the sand hills which formed the divide , sloping away to the branches of the main creek . Noon found him on the south fork ; cattle were encountered near the juncture , and as he approached the grove , a horseman rode out as if to dispute the passage of an intruder . The old foreman noticed the boyish figure and delayed the meeting , reining in to critically examine cattle which he had branded some three months before . With diligent intent , the greeting was kept pending , the wayfarer riding away on a tangent and veering back on his general course , until Dell 's suspicion was aroused . The return of Priest was so unexpected that the boy 's eyes filled with tears , and the two rode along until the grove was reached , when they dismounted .