The herders informed the Overlanders that the ranch-house was about five miles due east of there, and that the boss would be glad to see them.
“My horse has a loose shoe. Is there a blacksmith outfit over there?” asked Hippy.
“Sure,” answered a herder. “You’ll have to do your own smithing, though.”
“I reckon I can do that all right,” answered Lieutenant Wingate. “We can make camp there and have a rest before we undertake the next hard climb.”
After waving good-byes to the herders, the Overland Riders resumed their journey, arriving at the “Lazy J” ranch about mid-afternoon. They were warmly welcomed by Mr. Giddings, the foreman, who showed his amazement that a party of young women should have made the rough ride into the mountains.
“Help yourselves to anything in sight. It’s all yours,” he offered. “Glad to have you take pot luck with me in my shack. There isn’t much, but what there is you are welcome to.”
“No. You sit down with us and have a snack,” urged Grace.
Mr. Giddings did so, and after a late luncheon he conducted Hippy to the blacksmith shop, where Lieutenant Wingate removed the loose shoe from his pony and straightening it on the anvil proceeded to nail it back in place, observed interestedly by the Overlanders and several cowboys who were resting up at the ranch-house. Even the cowboys’ cook came out, frying-pan in hand, to see how the tenderfoot would go about it to shoe a horse.
The cowboys looked on with solemn visages, expressive of neither approval nor disapproval. Their interest quickened, however, when Stacy Brown announced that he was going to remove a loose shoe from the off hind foot of the white mare, Kitty, and set it properly in place.
Kitty was led in, and Chunky made his preparations with sundry flourishes to show the spectators that he knew what he was about. Kitty was not unobservant, and every move of the Overland boy was narrowly watched by her.