About noon
Dick and Bob , and the rest of the herdsmen , were off somewhere , attending to the stock . Frank , being left to himself , tried various plans for his amusement . He read a few pages in half a dozen different books , took a short gallop over the prairie , shot a brace of quails for his dinner ; all the while keeping a bright lookout for his expected visitors , who , however , did not make their appearance . About noon , he was gratified by hearing the sound of a horse 's hoofs in the court . He ran out , expecting to welcome Johnny and Dick , but , to his disappointment , encountered a stranger , who reined up his horse at the door , and inquired : `` Is this Mr. Winters 's rancho , young man ? '' Frank replied that it was . `` He is at home , I suppose ? ''