But as far as he could see there were no cattle that way either.

Last night when he rode to town the cattle of the colonists had been feeding on the long slope three or four miles from where he stood, across Antelope Coulee where he had helped the boys drive them.
He did not waste many minutes studying the empty prairie from the vantage point of that ridge, however.

The keynote of Irish's nature was action.

He sent his horse down the southern slope to the level, and began looking for tracks, which is the range man's guide-book.

He was not long in finding a broad trail, in the grass where cattle had lately crossed the coulee from the west.