The cowboy's long, low whistle And singing by their side."

Suddenly, like one, the entire herd arose, and the silence of the night was changed to a pandemonium of sound. The earth trembled with the beating of hoofs, the cowboy's tranquil call rose to a shrill crescendo, shouts and shots woke the startled prairie owls, and all was feverish anxiety. The two men who returned to Texas were at the camp, when the tornado of activity awoke. They were a little behind the others ; one was a little in advance of the other, and both were riding to overtake the herd.

One of the riders far in advance suddenly disappeared, then another went down, and that

meant ground to death under the feet of the trampling steers. One after another the head riders fell, and there were left but the two. One was riding into the rear, and the other shut his eyes for a moment, for such a performance meant only one thing, and that, death. Instantly he opened them again for in closing his eyes he had apparently closed his ears. The Pandemonium of sound had ceased. When he looked forward, it was upon an empty plain, save for the one lone horseman, that came riding back to him.

"Did you see it?" he asked.

The other had seen nothing that could be designated as "It."

"The Phantom Steer" said the first spokesman. "As sure as we live there was a big, shadowy steer that led the bunch, and these that came on became as he, for I rode through them, and cut them with my rope, time after time."