The trees were becoming few and sparse as they moved into a boulder field that had slid off the side of the mountain. He was surprised when Butch rode out ahead of them from behind a rock that was large enough to conceal both horse and rider. “Where the hell did you come from?” shouted Jack. “How did you get ahead of me?” Nice greeting, thought Butch. The first day was not over and he was already tiring of the arrogant young rancher. “There was another way through the cliffs in the valley,” Butch said with a smirk. “I looked up and spotted it right off. It was on a straighter line to the twin peaks so I figured I could cut across your trail and pick you up.” “Well, it must have been awful damn narrow.” “Naw, it was pretty wide.” Butch hoped he did not notice his torn shirt or the abrasions on the flank of his buckskin filly. The new passage he had found was no more than a crack in the rocks. He had to pull his horse through it. Mike, Elzy and Luke had caught up at this point and were also surprised to see him.
