All at once he burst out on to a broad, green mesa, and there, before his delighted eyes was a great herd of snowy-white sheep grazing contentedly. Off on the further side of the flock he descried a man lazily sitting in his saddle while a dog was rounding up a bunch of stray lambs further to Tad's right.
The man was watching the work of the dog, so that he did not discover the lad at once.
Tad decided that he would go around the herd to the left. That appeared to be the shortest way to reach him. He did not wish to try to go straight through the herd.
He had gone but a little way before he saw that the man had observed him and was now riding around the upper end of the flock to meet him.
"Hello, what do you want?" shouted the fellow.
"I want to find Mr. Simms's ranch. Is it anywhere near here?"
"Two miles up that way. Where'd you come from?"
"I don't know. I've been lost in the mountains. I must see Mr. Simms at once."
"Guess you've got a long walk ahead of you then," laughed the sheepman. "Boss Simms is up to Forsythe."
"Is his family at the ranch?" asked Tad.