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vi Contents

2-3g The Sustainable Physical Environment Segment 53

Strategic Focus: Target Lost Its Sway Because Tar-zhey No Longer Drew the Customers 54
2-4 Industry Environment Analysis 55
2-4a Threat of New Entrants 56
2-4b Bargaining Power of Suppliers 59
2-4c Bargaining Power of Buyers 60
2-4d Threat of Substitute Products 60
2-4e Intensity of Rivalry among Competitors 60
2-5 Interpreting Industry Analyses 63
2-6 Strategic Groups 63
Strategic Focus: Watch Out All Retailers, Here Comes Amazon; Watch Out Amazon, Here Comes
Jet.com 64
2-7 Competitor Analysis 65
2-8 Ethical Considerations 67
Summary 68 • Key Terms 68 • Review Questions 68 • Mini-Case 69 • Notes 70

3: The Internal Organization: Resources, Capabilities, Core

Competencies, and Competitive Advantages 76
Opening Case: Data Analytics, Large Pharmaceutical Companies, and
Core Competencies: A Brave New World 77
3-1 Analyzing the Internal Organization 79
3-1a The Context of Internal Analysis 79
3-1b Creating Value 81
3-1c The Challenge of Analyzing the Internal Organization 81
3-2 Resources, Capabilities, and Core Competencies 84
3-2a Resources 84
Strategic Focus: Strengthening the Superdry Brand as a Foundation to Strategic Success 85
3-2b Capabilities 88
3-2c Core Competencies 89
3-3 Building Core Competencies 89
3-3a The Four Criteria of Sustainable Competitive Advantage 89
3-3b Value Chain Analysis 93
3-4 Outsourcing 96
3-5 Competencies, Strengths, Weaknesses, and Strategic Decisions 96
Strategic Focus: “We’re Outsourcing that Activity but Not That One? I’m Surprised!” 97

Summary 98 • Key Terms 99 • Review Questions 99 • Mini-Case 100 • Notes 101

Part 2: Strategic Actions: Strategy Formulation 108

4: Business-Level Strategy 108
Opening Case: Hain Celestial Group: A Firm Focused on “Organic” Differentiation 109
4-1 Customers: Their Relationship with Business-Level Strategies 112
4-1a Effectively Managing Relationships with Customers 112
4-1b Reach, Richness, and Affiliation 113
4-1c Who: Determining the Customers to Serve 114
4-1d What: Determining Which Customer Needs to Satisfy 114

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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
 Contents vii

4-1e How: Determining Core Competencies Necessary to Satisfy Customer Needs 115
4-2 The Purpose of a Business-Level Strategy 116
4-3 Types of Business-Level Strategies 117
4-3a Cost Leadership Strategy 118
4-3b Differentiation Strategy 122
Strategic Focus: Apple vs. Samsung: Apple Differentiates and Samsung Imperfectly Imitates 126
4-3c Focus Strategies 127
4-3d Integrated Cost Leadership/Differentiation Strategy 129
Strategic Focus: RadioShack’s Failed Focus Strategy: Strategic Flip-Flopping 130
Summary 134 • Key Terms 135 • Review Questions 135 • Mini-Case 135 • Notes 136

5: Competitive Rivalry and Competitive Dynamics 142

Opening Case: Does Google Have Competition? Dynamics of the High Technology
Markets 143
5-1 A Model of Competitive Rivalry 146
5-2 Competitor Analysis 147
5-2a Market Commonality 147
5-2b Resource Similarity 148
Strategic Focus: Does Kellogg Have the Tiger by the Tail or Is It the Reverse? 150
5-3 Drivers of Competitive Behavior 150
5-4 Competitive Rivalry 152
5-4a Strategic and Tactical Actions 152
5-5 Likelihood of Attack 153
5-5a First-Mover Benefits 153
5-5b Organizational Size 155
5-5c Quality 156
5-6 Likelihood of Response 157
5-6a Type of Competitive Action 157
5-6b Actor’s Reputation 158
5-6c Market Dependence 158
5-7 Competitive Dynamics 159
5-7a Slow-Cycle Markets 159
5-7b Fast-Cycle Markets 161
5-7c Standard-Cycle Markets 162
Strategic Focus: The Ripple Effect of Supermarket Wars: Aldi Is Changing the Markets in Many
Countries 163
Summary 164 • Key Terms 166 • Review Questions 166 • Mini-Case 166 • Notes 167

6: Corporate-Level Strategy 172

Opening Case: Disney Adds Value Using a Related Diversification Strategy 173
6-1 Levels of Diversification 175
6-1a Low Levels of Diversification 176
6-1b Moderate and High Levels of Diversification 177
6-2 Reasons for Diversification 178
6-3 Value-Creating Diversification: Related Constrained and Related
Linked Diversification 179

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viii Contents

6-3a Operational Relatedness: Sharing Activities 180

6-3b Corporate Relatedness: Transferring of Core Competencies 181
6-3c Market Power 182
6-3d Simultaneous Operational Relatedness and Corporate Relatedness 184
6-4 Unrelated Diversification 185
6-4a Efficient Internal Capital Market Allocation 185
Strategic Focus: GE and United Technology Are Firms that Have Pursued Internal Capital Allocation
and Restructuring Strategies 186
6-4b Restructuring of Assets 187
6-5 Value-Neutral Diversification: Incentives and Resources 188
6-5a Incentives to Diversify 188
Strategic Focus: Coca-Cola’s Diversification to Deal with Its Reduced Growth in Soft Drinks 190
6-5b Resources and Diversification 192
6-6 Value-Reducing Diversification: Managerial Motives to Diversify 193
Summary 196 • Key Terms 196 • Review Questions 196 • Mini-Case 197 • Notes 198

7: Merger and Acquisition Strategies 204

Opening Case: Mergers and Acquisitions: Prominent Strategies for Firms Seeking to
Enhance Their Performance 205
7-1 The Popularity of Merger and Acquisition Strategies 206
7-1a Mergers, Acquisitions, and Takeovers: What Are the Differences? 207
7-2 Reasons for Acquisitions 208
Strategic Focus: A Merger of Equals: Making It Happen Isn’t Easy! 209
7-2a Increased Market Power 210
7-2b Overcoming Entry Barriers 211
Strategic Focus: Different Strategic Rationales Driving Cross-Border Acquisitions 212
7-2c Cost of New Product Development and Increased Speed to Market 213
7-2d Lower Risk Compared to Developing New Products 214
7-2e Increased Diversification 214
7-2f Reshaping the Firm’s Competitive Scope 215
7-2g Learning and Developing New Capabilities 215
7-3 Problems in Achieving Acquisition Success 216
7-3a Integration Difficulties 217
7-3b Inadequate Evaluation of Target 218
7-3c Large or Extraordinary Debt 219
7-3d Inability to Achieve Synergy 220
7-3e Too Much Diversification 221
7-3f Managers Overly Focused on Acquisitions 221
7-3g Too Large 222
7-4 Effective Acquisitions 222
7-5 Restructuring 224
7-5a Downsizing 224
7-5b Downscoping 224
7-5c Leveraged Buyouts 225
7-5d Restructuring Outcomes 225
Summary 227 • Key Terms 228 • Review Questions 228 • Mini-Case 228 • Notes 230

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 Contents ix

8: International Strategy 236

Opening Case: Netflix Ignites Growth Through International Expansion, But Such
Growth Also Fires Up the Competition 237
8-1 Identifying International Opportunities 239
8-1a Incentives to Use International Strategy 239
8-1b Three Basic Benefits of International Strategy 241
8-2 International Strategies 243
8-2a International Business-Level Strategy 243
8-2b International Corporate-Level Strategy 246
Strategic Focus: Furniture Giant IKEA’s Global Strategy 248
8-3 Environmental Trends 250
8-3a Liability of Foreignness 250
8-3b Regionalization 251
8-4 Choice of International Entry Mode 252
8-4a Exporting 253
8-4b Licensing 253
8-4c Strategic Alliances 254
8-4d Acquisitions 255
8-4e New Wholly Owned Subsidiary 256
8-4f Dynamics of Mode of Entry 257
8-5 Risks in an International Environment 258
8-5a Political Risks 258
8-5b Economic Risks 259
Strategic Focus: The Global Soccer Industry and the Effect of the FIFA Scandal 260
8-6 Strategic Competitiveness Outcomes 262
8-6a International Diversification and Returns 262
8-6b Enhanced Innovation 263
8-7 The Challenge of International Strategies 264
8-7a Complexity of Managing International Strategies 264
8-7b Limits to International Expansion 264
Summary 265 • Key Terms 266 • Review Questions 266 • Mini-Case 266 • Notes 268

9: Cooperative Strategy 276

Opening Case: Google, Intel, and Tag Heuer: Collaborating to
Produce a Smartwatch 277
9-1 Strategic Alliances as a Primary Type of Cooperative Strategy 279
9-1a Types of Major Strategic Alliances 279
9-1b Reasons Firms Develop Strategic Alliances 281
9-2 Business-Level Cooperative Strategy 284
9-2a Complementary Strategic Alliances 284
9-2b Competition Response Strategy 286
9-2c Uncertainty-Reducing Strategy 287
9-2d Competition-Reducing Strategy 287
Strategic Focus: Strategic Alliances as the Foundation for Tesla Motors’ Operations 288
9-2e Assessing Business-Level Cooperative Strategies 290
9-3 Corporate-Level Cooperative Strategy 290
9-3a Diversifying Strategic Alliance 291

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x Contents

9-3b Synergistic Strategic Alliance 291

9-3c Franchising 291
9-3d Assessing Corporate-Level Cooperative Strategies 292
9-4 International Cooperative Strategy 292
9-5 Network Cooperative Strategy 293
9-5a Alliance Network Types 294
9-6 Competitive Risks with Cooperative Strategies 295
Strategic Focus: Failing to Obtain Desired Levels of Success with Cooperative Strategies 296
9-7 Managing Cooperative Strategies 297
Summary 299 • Key Terms 300 • Review Questions 300 • Mini-Case 300 • Notes 302

Part 3: Strategic Actions: Strategy Implementation 308

10: Corporate Governance 308
Opening Case: The Corporate Raiders of the 1980s Have Become the Activist
Shareholders of Today 309
10-1 Separation of Ownership and Managerial Control 312
10-1a Agency Relationships 313
10-1b Product Diversification as an Example of an Agency Problem 314
10-1c Agency Costs and Governance Mechanisms 316
10-2 Ownership Concentration 317
10-2a The Increasing Influence of Institutional Owners 318
10-3 Board of Directors 319
10-3a Enhancing the Effectiveness of the Board of Directors 321
10-3b Executive Compensation 322
10-3c The Effectiveness of Executive Compensation 323
Strategic Focus: Do CEOs Deserve the Large Compensation Packages They Receive? 324
10-4 Market for Corporate Control 325
10-4a Managerial Defense Tactics 326
10-5 International Corporate Governance 328
10-5a Corporate Governance in Germany and Japan 328
Strategic Focus: “Engagement” versus “Activist” Shareholders in Japan, Germany, and China 330
10-5b Corporate Governance in China 331
10-6 Governance Mechanisms and Ethical Behavior 332
Summary 333 • Key Terms 334 • Review Questions 334 • Mini-Case 335 • Notes 336

11: Organizational Structure and Controls 344

Opening Case: Luxottica’s Dual CEO Structure: A Key to Long-Term Success or a Cause
for Concern? 345
11-1 Organizational Structure and Controls 347
11-1a Organizational Structure 347
Strategic Focus: Changing McDonald’s Organizational Structure: A Path to Improved Performance? 348
11-1b Organizational Controls 350
11-2 Relationships between Strategy and Structure 351
11-3 Evolutionary Patterns of Strategy and Organizational Structure 351
11-3a Simple Structure 352

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 Contents xi

11-3b Functional Structure 353

11-3c Multidivisional Structure 353
11-3d Matches between Business-Level Strategies and the Functional Structure 354
11-3e Matches between Corporate-Level Strategies and the Multidivisional Structure 357
Strategic Focus: Sony Corporation’s New Organizational Structure: Greater Financial Accountability
and Focused Allocations of Resources 362
11-3f Matches between International Strategies and Worldwide Structure 365
11-3g Matches between Cooperative Strategies and Network Structures 369
11-4 Implementing Business-Level Cooperative Strategies 370
11-5 Implementing Corporate-Level Cooperative Strategies 371
11-6 Implementing International Cooperative Strategies 372
Summary 373 • Key Terms 373 • Review Questions 374 • Mini-Case 374 • Notes 375

12: Strategic Leadership 382

Opening Case: Can You Follow an Icon and Succeed? Apple and Tim Cook After Steve
Jobs 383
12-1 Strategic Leadership and Style 384
12-2 The Role of Top-Level Managers 387
12-2a Top Management Teams 387
12-3 Managerial Succession 391
Strategic Focus: Trial by Fire: CEO Succession at General Motors 395
12-4 Key Strategic Leadership Actions 396
12-4a Determining Strategic Direction 396
12-4b Effectively Managing the Firm’s Resource Portfolio 397
Strategic Focus: All the Ways You Can Fail! 400
12-4c Sustaining an Effective Organizational Culture 401
12-4d Emphasizing Ethical Practices 402
12-4e Establishing Balanced Organizational Controls 403
Summary 406 • Key Terms 407 • Review Questions 407 • Mini-Case 407 • Notes 409

13: Strategic Entrepreneurship 416

Opening Case: Entrepreneurial Fervor and Innovation Drive Disney’s Success 417
13-1 Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurial Opportunities 419
13-2 Innovation 420
13-3 Entrepreneurs 420
13-4 International Entrepreneurship 421
13-5 Internal Innovation 422
13-5a Incremental and Novel Innovation 423
Strategic Focus: Innovation Can Be Quirky 425
13-5b Autonomous Strategic Behavior 426
13-5c Induced Strategic Behavior 427
13-6 Implementing Internal Innovations 427
13-6a Cross-Functional Product Development Teams 428
13-6b Facilitating Integration and Innovation 429
13-6c Creating Value from Internal Innovation 429
13-7 Innovation through Cooperative Strategies 430

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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
xii Contents

13-8 Innovation through Acquisitions 431

Strategic Focus: What Explains the Lack of Innovation at American Express? Is It Hubris, Inertia, or
Lack of Capability? 432
13-9 Creating Value through Strategic Entrepreneurship 433
Summary 435 • Key Terms 436 • Review Questions 436 • Mini-Case 436 • Notes 437

Part 4: Case Studies C-1

Preparing an Effective Case Analysis C-4
CASE 1: Kindle Fire: Amazon’s Heated Battle for the Tablet Market C-13
CASE 2: American Express: Bank 2.0 C-30
CASE 3: BP In Russia: Bad Partners or Bad Partnerships? (A) C-42
CASE 4: Carlsberg in Emerging Markets C-47
CASE 5: Fisk Alloy Wire, Inc. and Percon C-56
CASE 6: Business Model and Competitive Strategy of IKEA in India C-66
CASE 7: Invitrogen (A) C-78
CASE 8: Keurig: From David to Goliath: The Challenge of Gaining and Maintaining
Marketplace Leadership C-87
CASE 9: KIPP Houston Public Schools C-97
CASE 10: Luck Companies: Igniting Human Potential C-112
CASE 11: Corporate Governance at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia:
Not “A Good Thing” C-126
CASE 12: The Movie Exhibition Industry: 2015 C-141
CASE 13: Polaris and Victory: Entering and Growing the Motorcycle Business C-161
CASE 14: Safaricom: Innovative Telecom Solutions to Empower Kenyans C-179
CASE 15: Siemens: Management Innovation at the Corporate Level C-193
CASE 16: Southwest Airlines C-208
CASE 17: Starbucks Corporation: The New S-Curves C-223
CASE 18: Super Selectos: Winning the War Against Multinational Retail Chains C-237
CASE 19: Tim Hortons Inc. C-250
CASE 20: W. L. Gore—Culture of Innovation C-262

Name Index I-1

Company Index I-20
Subject Index I-23

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 Chapter 2:  xiii

Preface

Our goal in writing each edition of this book is to present a new, up-to-date standard for
explaining the strategic management process. To reach this goal with the 12th edition of
our market-leading text, we again present you with an intellectually rich yet thoroughly
practical analysis of strategic management.
With each new edition, we work hard to achieve the goal of maintaining the standard
that we established for presenting strategic management knowledge in a readable style.
To prepare for each new edition, we carefully study the most recent academic research
to ensure that the content about strategic management that we present to you is up to
date and accurate. In addition, we continuously read articles appearing in many different
and widely read business publications (e.g., Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Businessweek,
Fortune, Financial Times, Fast Company, and Forbes, to name a few). We also study post-
ings through social media (such as blogs) given their increasing use as channels of infor-
mation distribution. By studying a wide array of sources, we are able to identify valuable
examples of how companies are using (or not using) the strategic management process.
Though many of the hundreds of companies that we discuss in the book will be quite
familiar, some will likely be new to you. One reason for this is that we use examples
of companies from around the world to demonstrate the globalized nature of business
operations. To maximize your opportunities to learn as you read and think about how
actual companies use strategic management tools, techniques, and concepts (based on
the most current research), we emphasize a lively and user-friendly writing style. To
facilitate learning, we use an Analysis-Strategy-Performance framework that is explained
in Chapter 1 and referenced throughout the book.
Several characteristics of this 12th edition of our book are designed to enhance your
learning experience:
■■ First, we are pleased to note that this book presents you with the most comprehensive
and thorough coverage of strategic management that is available in the market.
■■ The research used in this book is drawn from the “classics” as well as the most recent
contributions to the strategic management literature. The historically significant
“classic” research provides the foundation for much of what is known about strate-
gic management, while the most recent contributions reveal insights about how to
effectively use strategic management in the complex, global business environment in
which firms now compete. Our book also presents you with many up-to-date exam-
ples of how firms use the strategic management tools, techniques, and concepts that
prominent researchers have developed. Indeed, although this book is grounded in the
relevant theory and current research, it also is strongly application oriented and pres-
ents you, our readers, with a large number of examples and applications of strategic
management concepts, techniques, and tools. In this edition, for example, we examine
more than 600 companies to describe the use of strategic management. Collectively,
no other strategic management book presents you with the combination of useful and
insightful research and applications in a wide variety of organizations as does this text.

xiii

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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
xiv Preface

Company examples you will find in this edition range from large U.S.-based firms such
as Apple, Amazon.com, McDonald’s, Starbucks, Walmart, Walt Disney, General Electric,
Intel, American Express, Coca-Cola, Google, Target, United Technologies, Kellogg,
DuPont, Marriott, and Whole Foods. In addition, we examine firms based in countries
other than the United States such as Sony, Aldi, Honda, Tata Consultancy, Alibaba, IKEA,
Lenova, Luxottica, and Samsung. As these lists suggest, the firms examined in this book
compete in a wide range of industries and produce a diverse set of goods and services.
■■ We use the ideas of many prominent scholars (e.g., Ron Adner, Rajshree Agarwal,
Gautam Ahuja, Raffi Amit, Africa Arino, Jay Barney, Paul Beamish, Peter Buckley,
Ming-Jer Chen, Russ Coff, Rich D’Aveni, Kathy Eisenhardt, Gerry George, Javier
Gimeno, Luis Gomez-Mejia, Melissa Graebner, Ranjay Gulati, Don Hambrick, Connie
Helfat, Amy Hillman, Tomas Hult, Dave Ketchen, Dovev Lavie, Yadong Luo, Shige
Makino, Costas Markides, Anita McGahan, Danny Miller, Will Mitchell, Margie
Peteraf, Michael Porter, Nandini Rajagopalan, Jeff Reuer, Joan Ricart, Richard Rumelt,
David Sirmon, Ken Smith, Steve Tallman, David Teece, Michael Tushman, Margarethe
Wiersema, Oliver Williamson, Mike Wright, Anthea Zhang, and Ed Zajac) to shape
the discussion of what strategic management is. We describe the practices of promi-
nent executives and practitioners (e.g., Mary Barra, Jack Ma, Reed Hastings, Howard
Schultz, John Mackey, Yang Yuanqing, Angela Ahrendt, Marilyn Hewson, Jeff Immelt,
Ellen Kullman, Elon Musk, Paul Pullman, Li Ka-Shing, Karen Patz, and many others)
to help us describe how strategic management is used in many types of organizations.
The authors of this book are also active scholars. We conduct research on a number
of strategic management topics. Our interest in doing so is to contribute to the strategic
management literature and to better understand how to effectively apply strategic man-
agement tools, techniques, and concepts to increase organizational performance. Thus,
our own research is integrated in the appropriate chapters along with the research of
numerous other scholars, some of whom are noted above.
In addition to our book’s characteristics, there are some specific features and revisions
that we have made in this 12th edition that we are pleased to highlight for you:
■■ New Opening Cases and Strategic Focus Segments We continue our tradition of
providing all-new Opening Cases and Strategic Focus segments! Many of these deal
with companies located outside North America. In addition, all of the company-spe-
cific examples included in each chapter are either new or substantially updated.
Through all of these venues, we present you with a wealth of examples of how actual
organizations, most of which compete internationally as well as in their home mar-
kets, use the strategic management process for the purpose of outperforming rivals
and increasing their performance.
■■ Twenty Cases are included in this edition. Offering an effective mix of organizations
headquartered or based in North America and a number of other countries as well,
the cases deal with contemporary and highly important topics. Many of the cases have
full financial data (the analyses of which are in the Case Notes that are available to
instructors). These timely cases present active learners with opportunities to apply the
strategic management process and understand organizational conditions and contexts
and to make appropriate recommendations to deal with critical concerns. These cases
can also be found in MindTap.
■■ New Mini-Cases have been added that demonstrate how companies deal with
major issues highlighted in the text. There are 13 of these cases, one for each chapter,
although some of them can overlap with other chapter content. Students will like
their conciseness, but they likewise provide rich content that can serve as a catalyst
for individual or group analysis and class discussion. Each Mini-Case is followed by a
set of questions to guide analysis and discussion.

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 Preface xv

■■ More than 1,200 new references from 2014 and 2015 are included in the chapters’
endnotes. We used the materials associated with these references to support new
material added or current strategic management concepts that are included in this
edition. In addition to demonstrating the classic and recent research from which we
draw our material, the large number of references supporting the book’s contents
allow us to integrate cutting-edge research and thinking into a presentation of strate-
gic management tools, techniques, and concepts.
■■ New content was added to several chapters. Examples include the strategic ecosystem
such as the one used by Apple with its “ecosystem of app producers” (Chapters 1 and
4), sustainable physical environment (Chapter 3), mentoring new CEOs (Chapter 12),
strategic leadership in family owned/controlled companies (Chapter 12), and acqui-
sitions and innovation, open innovations, and managing the innovation portfolio
(Chapters 4 and 13).
■■ Updated information is provided in several chapters. Examples include the stake-
holder host communities (Chapter 1), all new and current demographic data (e.g.,
ethnic mix, geographic distribution) that describe the economic environment
(Chapter 2), the general partner strategies of private equity firms (Chapter 7),
information from the World Economic Forum Competitiveness Report regarding
political risks of international investments (Chapter 8), updates about corporate
governance practices being used in different countries (Chapter 10), updated data
about the number of internal and external CEO selections occurring in compa-
nies today (Chapter 12), a ranking of countries by the amount of their entrepre-
neurial activities (Chapter 13), and a ranking of companies on their total innova-
tion output (Chapter 13).
■■ An Exceptional Balance between current research and up-to-date applications
of that research in actual organizations located throughout the world. The con-
tent has not only the best research documentation but also the largest number
of effective real-world examples to help active learners understand the different
types of strategies organizations use to achieve their vision and mission and to
outperform rivals.

Supplements to Accompany This Text

Instructor Website. Access important teaching resources on this companion website.
For your convenience, you can download electronic versions of the instructor supple-
ments from the password-protected section of the site, including Instructor’s Resource
Manual, Comprehensive Case Notes, Cognero Testing, Word Test Bank files, PowerPoint®
slides, and Video Segments and Guide. To access these additional course materials and
companion resources, please visit www.cengagebrain.com.
■■ Instructor’s Resource Manual. The Instructor’s Resource Manual, organized around
each chapter’s knowledge objectives, includes teaching ideas for each chapter and how
to reinforce essential principles with extra examples. This support product includes
lecture outlines and detailed guides to integrating the MindTap activities into your
course with instructions for using each chapter’s experiential exercises, branching,
and directed cases. Finally, we provide outlines and guidance to help you customize
the collaborative work environment and case analysis project to incorporate your
approach to case analysis, including creative ideas for using this feature throughout
your course for the most powerful learning experience for your class.
■■ Case Notes. These notes include directed assignments, financial analyses, and thor-
ough discussion and exposition of issues in the case. Select cases also have assessment

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xvi Preface

rubrics tied to National Standards (AACSB outcomes) that can be used for grading
each case. The Case Notes provide consistent and thorough support for instructors,
following the method espoused by the author team for preparing an effective case
analysis.
■■ Cognero. This program is easy-to-use test-creation software that is compatible
with Microsoft Windows. Instructors can add or edit questions, instructions, and
answers, and select questions by previewing them on the screen, selecting them
randomly, or selecting them by number. Instructors can also create and admin-
ister quizzes online, whether over the Internet, a local area network (LAN), or a
wide area network (WAN).
■■ Test Bank. Thoroughly revised and enhanced, test bank questions are linked to each
chapter’s knowledge objectives and are ranked by difficulty and question type. We
provide an ample number of application questions throughout, and we have also
retained scenario-based questions as a means of adding in-depth problem-solving
questions. The questions are also tagged to National Standards (AACSB outcomes),
Bloom’s Taxonomy, and the Dierdorff/Rubin metrics.
■■ PowerPoints®. An all-new PowerPoint presentation, created for the 12th edition,
provides support for lectures, emphasizing key concepts, key terms, and instructive
graphics.
■■ Video Segments. A collection of 13 BBC videos has been included in the MindTap
Learning Path. These new videos are short, compelling, and provide timely illustra-
tions of today’s management world. They are available on the DVD and Instructor
website. Detailed case write-ups, including questions and suggested answers, appear
in the Instructor’s Resource Manual and Video Guide.

Cengage Learning Write Experience 3.0. This new technology is the first in higher
education to offer students the opportunity to improve their writing and analytical skills
without adding to your workload. Offered through an exclusive agreement with Vantage
Learning, creator of the software used for GMAT essay grading, Write Experience eval-
uates students’ answers to a select set of assignments for writing for voice, style, format,
and originality. We have trained new prompts for this edition!

Micromatic Strategic Management Simulation (for bundles only). The

Micromatic Business Simulation Game allows students to decide their company’s
mission, goals, policies, and strategies. Student teams make their decisions on a
­quarter-by-quarter basis, determining price, sales and promotion budgets, opera-
tions decisions, and financing requirements. Each decision round requires students
to make approximately 100 decisions. Students can play in teams or play alone, com-
pete against other players or the computer, or use Micromatic for practice, tourna-
ments, or assessment. You can control any business simulation element you wish,
leaving the rest alone if you desire. Because of the number and type of decisions the
student users must make, Micromatic is classified as a medium to complex business
simulation game. This helps students understand how the functional areas of a busi-
ness fit together without being bogged down in needless detail and provides students
with an excellent capstone experience in decision making.

Smartsims (for bundles only). MikesBikes Advanced is a premier strategy simulation

providing students with the unique opportunity to evaluate, plan, and implement strategy as
they manage their own company while competing online against other students within their
course. Students from the management team of a bicycle manufacturing company make all

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 Preface  xvii

the key functional decisions involving price, marketing, distribution, finance, operations,
HR, and R&D. They formulate a comprehensive strategy, starting with their existing product,
and then adapt the strategy as they develop new products for emerging markets. Through
the Smartsims easy-to-use interface, students are taught the cross-functional disciplines of
business and how the development and implementation of strategy involves these disciplines.
The competitive nature of MikesBikes encourages involvement and learning in a way that no
other teaching methodology can, and your students will have fun in the process!

MindTap. MindTap is the digital learning solution that helps instructors engage
students and helps students become tomorrow’s strategic leaders. All activities are
designed to teach students to problem-solve and think like leaders. Through these
activities and real-time course analytics, and an accessible reader, MindTap helps you
turn cookie cutter into cutting edge, apathy into engagement, and memorizers into
higher-level thinkers.
Customized to the specific needs of this course, activities are built to facilitate mas-
tery of chapter content. We’ve addressed case analysis from cornerstone to capstone with
a functional area diagnostic of prior knowledge, directed cases, branching activities,
multimedia presentations of real-world companies facing strategic decisions, and a
collaborative environment in which students can complete group case analysis projects
together synchronously.

Acknowledgments
We express our appreciation for the excellent support received from our editorial and
production team at Cengage Learning. We especially wish to thank Scott Person, our
Senior Product Manager, and Tara Singer, our Content Developer. We are grateful for
their dedication, commitment, and outstanding contributions to the development and
publication of this book and its package of support materials.
We are highly indebted to all of the reviewers of past editions. Their comments
have provided a great deal of insight in the preparation of this current edition:

Jay Azriel Ken Chadwick

York College of Pennsylvania Nicholls State University
Lana Belousova Bruce H. Charnov
Suffolk University Hofstra University
Ruben Boling Jay Chok
North Georgia University Keck Graduate Institute, Claremont Colleges
Matthias Bollmus Peter Clement
Carroll University State University of New York–Delhi
Erich Brockmann Terry Coalter
University of New Orleans Northwest Missouri University
David Cadden James Cordeiro
Quinnipiac University SUNY Brockport

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xviii Preface

Deborah de Lange James McClain

Suffolk University California State University–Fullerton
Irem Demirkan Jean McGuire
Northeastern University Louisiana State University
Dev Dutta John McIntyre
University of New Hampshire Georgia Tech
Scott Elston Rick McPherson
Iowa State University University of Washington
Harold Fraser Karen Middleton
California State University–Fullerton Texas A&M–Corpus Christi
Robert Goldberg Raza Mir
Northeastern University William Paterson University
Monica Gordillo Martina Musteen
Iowa State University San Diego State University
George Griffin Louise Nemanich
Spring Arbor University Arizona State University
Susan Hansen Frank Novakowski
University of Wisconsin–Platteville Davenport University
Glenn Hoetker Consuelo M. Ramirez
Arizona State University University of Texas at San Antonio
James Hoyt Barbara Ribbens
Troy University Western Illinois University
Miriam Huddleston Jason Ridge
Harford Community College Clemson University
Carol Jacobson William Roering
Purdue University Michigan State University
James Katzenstein Manjula S. Salimath
California State University, Dominguez Hills University of North Texas
Robert Keidel Deepak Sethi
Drexel University Old Dominion University
Nancy E. Landrum Manisha Singal
University of Arkansas at Little Rock Virginia Tech
Mina Lee Warren Stone
Xavier University University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Patrice Luoma Elisabeth Teal
Quinnipiac University University of N. Georgia
Mzamo Mangaliso Jill Thomas Jorgensen
University of Massachusetts–Amherst Lewis and Clark State College
Michele K. Masterfano Len J. Trevino
Drexel University Washington State University

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 Preface  xix

Edward Ward Patricia A. Worsham

Saint Cloud State University California State Polytechnic University,
Pomona
Marta Szabo White
Georgia State University William J. Worthington
Baylor University
Michael L. Williams
Michigan State University Wilson Zehr
Concordia University
Diana J. Wong-MingJi
Eastern Michigan University

Michael A. Hitt
R. Duane Ireland
Robert E. Hoskisson

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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
 About the Authors

Michael A. Hitt
Michael Hitt is a University Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Texas A&M University
and a Distinguished Research Fellow at Texas Christian University. Dr. Hitt received his
Ph.D. from the University of Colorado. He has coauthored or coedited 27 books and
authored or coauthored many journal articles. A recent article listed him as one of the
10 most cited authors in management over a 25-year period. The Times Higher Education
2010 listed him among the top scholars in economics, finance, and management based on
the number of highly cited articles he has authored. A recent article in the Academy of
Management Perspectives lists him as one of the top two management scholars in terms
of the combined impact of his work both inside (i.e., citations in scholarly journals) and
outside of academia. He has served on the editorial review boards of multiple journals
and is a former editor of the Academy of Management Journal and a former coeditor
of the Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal. He received the 1996 Award for Outstanding
Academic Contributions to Competitiveness and the 1999 Award for Outstanding
Intellectual Contributions to Competitiveness Research from the American Society for
Competitiveness. He is a fellow in the Academy of Management and in the Strategic
Management Society, a research fellow in the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship
Centers, and received an honorary doctorate from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid.
He is a former president of both the Academy of Management and of the Strategic
Management Society and a member of the Academy of Management’s Journals’ Hall of
Fame. He received awards for the best article published in the Academy of Management
Executive (1999), Academy of Management Journal (2000), Journal of Management (2006),
and Family Business Review (2012). In 2001, he received the Irwin Outstanding Educator
Award and the Distinguished Service Award from the Academy of Management. In 2004,
Dr. Hitt was awarded the Best Paper Prize by the Strategic Management Society. In 2006,
he received the Falcone Distinguished Entrepreneurship Scholar Award from Syracuse
University. In 2014 and 2015, Dr. Hitt was listed as a Thomson Reuters Highly Cited
Researcher (a listing of the world’s most influential researchers), and he was also listed as
one of The World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds (a listing of the top cited researchers
in science around the globe).

R. Duane Ireland
R. Duane Ireland is a University Distinguished Professor and holder of the Conn
Chair in New Ventures Leadership in the Mays Business School, Texas A&M University.
Dr. Ireland teaches strategic management courses at all levels. He has more than 200
publications, including approximately 25 books. His research, which focuses on diver-
sification, innovation, corporate entrepreneurship, strategic entrepreneurship, and the
informal economy, has been published in an array of journals. He has served as a member
of multiple editorial review boards and is a former editor of the Academy of Management
Journal. He has been a guest editor for 12 special issues of journals. He is a past president
xx

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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
 About the Authors xxi

of the Academy of Management. Dr. Ireland is a fellow of the Academy of Management

and a fellow of the Strategic Management Society. He is a research fellow in the Global
Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers and received an award in 1999 for Outstanding
Intellectual Contributions to Competitiveness Research from the American Society for
Competitiveness. He received the Falcone Distinguished Entrepreneurship Scholar Award
from Syracuse University in 2005, the USASBE Scholar in Corporate Entrepreneurship
Award from USASBE in 2004, and the Riata Distinguished Entrepreneurship Scholar
award from Oklahoma State University in 2014. He received awards for the best article
published in Academy of Management Executive (1999), the Academy of Management
Journal (2000), and the Journal of Applied Management and Entrepreneurship (2010).
He received an Association of Former Students Distinguished Achievement Award for
Research from Texas A&M University (2012). In 2014 and 2015, Dr. Ireland was listed
as a Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researcher (a listing of the world’s most influential
researchers), and he was also listed as one of The World’s Most Influential Scientific
Minds (a listing of the top cited researchers in science around the globe).

Robert E. Hoskisson
Robert E. Hoskisson is the George R. Brown Chair of Strategic Management at the
Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business, Rice University. Dr. Hoskisson received his
Ph.D. from the University of California-Irvine. His research topics focus on corporate
governance, acquisitions and divestitures, corporate and international diversification,
and cooperative strategy. He teaches courses in corporate and international strategic
management, cooperative strategy, and strategy consulting. He has coauthored 26 books,
including recent books on business strategy and competitive advantage. Dr. Hoskisson
has served on several editorial boards for such publications as the Strategic Management
Journal (current Associate Editor), Academy of Management Journal (Consulting Editor),
Journal of International Business Studies (Consulting Editor), Journal of Management
(Associate Editor) and Organization Science. His research has appeared in over 130
publications, including the Strategic Management Journal, Academy of Management
Journal, Academy of Management Review, Organization Science, Journal of Management,
Academy of Management Perspective, Academy of Management Executive, Journal
of Management Studies, Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of Business
Venturing, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, California Management Review, and
Journal of World Business. Dr. Hoskisson is a fellow of the Academy of Management and
a charter member of the Academy of Management Journal’s Hall of Fame. He is also a
fellow of the Strategic Management Society and has received awards from the American
Society for Competitiveness and the William G. Dyer Alumni award from the Marriott
School of Management, Brigham Young University. He completed three years of service
as a Representative-at-Large on the Board of Governors of the Academy of Management.
Currently, he serves as Past President of the Strategic Management Society, and thereby
serves on the Executive Committee of its Board of Directors.

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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
xxii

Social/
Manu­ Consumer Food/ High Transportation/ International Ethical Industry
Case Title facturing Service Goods Retail Technology Internet Communication Perspective Issues Perspective
Amazon:
Kindle Fire • • •
American
Express • • •
BP in Russia
• • •
Carlsberg
• • • •
Fisk Alloy Wire,
Inc. and Percon • •
IKEA
• • • • •
Invitrogen
• • •
Keurig
• •
Kipp Schools
•
Luck
­Companies • • •
Martha Stewart
• •
Movie
­Exhibition
Industry: 2015
• • •
Polaris and
Victory
­Motorcycles
• • • •
Safaricom
• • • •
Siemens
• •
Southwest
Airlines • • • •
Starbucks
• • • •
Super Selectos
• • •
Tim Hortons
• • •
W.L. Gore
• • •

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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
 xxiii

Chapters

e Case Title 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Amazon:
Kindle Fire • • •
American Express
• • • •
BP in Russia
• • •
Carlsberg
• • • • •
Fisk Alloy Wire, Inc. and
Percon • • •
IKEA
• • •
Invitrogen
• • •
Keurig
• • •
Kipp Schools
• • • •
Luck ­Companies
• • • • • • •
Martha Stewart
• • • • •
Movie ­Exhibition Indus-
try: 2015 • • • •
Polaris and Victory
­Motorcycles • • • • • •
Safaricom
• • • • •
Siemens
• • • • •
Southwest Airlines
• • • • •
Starbucks
• • • • •
Super Selectos
• • • •
Tim Hortons
• • • •
W.L. Gore
• • • • •

Copyright 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Random documents with unrelated
content Scribd suggests to you:
 He retraced his steps and went farther to the left. Coming to a
level spot, he resorted to his tiny torch again. He was right:
Bucephalus had chosen the easier course, though how the sagacious
animal knew of its existence was beyond guessing.
By this time Alden understood that at the rate he was using his
matches, they could not last beyond an hour or less. He slackened
his pace and studied his surroundings with the utmost care. Only
when absolutely necessary did he intend to ignite his lucifers.
He had never heard of the methods employed by veteran trailers,
though Shagbark had practised them, but reflection caused Alden to
try this one. He stooped and gently passed one hand over the soft
earth. A few minutes of effort told him he was on the trail of the
pony.
He had straightened up and was walking cautiously, when he was
startled by the reports of several rifles fired so nearly together that
he could not tell the number. They came from a point diagonally in
front, but at a considerable distance. He paused, undecided what to
do.
There was no guessing the meaning of the alarm, but naturally he
accepted the worst construction. The guns must have been
discharged by Indians with a sinister purpose. Probably one of the
Pony Express Riders had fallen, as others had fallen before him and
others were to fall in the remaining months of the service.
Alden paused for ten or more minutes and then resumed his
tramp. It seemed to him that the spot where the guns were fired
was well to the right. Still it was likely the trail veered in that
direction, for no mortal man ever saw a path that was straight,
unless laid out by compass and rule.
There was an additional reason for not lighting a match, for it
might catch the eye of some of the dusky prowlers. Consequently
Alden pushed on stealthily and slowly. Frequently he paused and
listened. The trail could change without his being aware of it, for in
his situation he had no means of judging. His bright wits were ever
on a strain and when he came to a series of boulders, he again
stooped and felt of the ground. The soil was pebbly and the sense of
feeling did not help him.
He hesitated to light a match, for he knew he was near the spot
whence had come the sounds of rifle firing. He straightened up and
listened. A gentle wind stirred the willows in front, the faint murmur
of the mountain stream behind him came softly to his ears, but all
else was profound silence.
He had peered into the star gleam in front for some minutes when
the conviction gradually came to him that something not a boulder
or stone was lying a few paces away. He could not identify it without
a nearer approach, and after a little wait he stepped forward on
tiptoe.
He had accepted it as an explanation of the startling sounds that
came to him a short time before. Another Pony Express Rider had
gone down in the path of duty. But still drawing nearer, Alden found
the next moment he was mistaken. It was the body of a horse lying
on its side.
Forgetful for the moment of the peril of the act, the youth drew
another match along the corrugated bottom of his little safe and
held the speck of flame in front of him.
It was what was left of Bucephalus. He had been pierced by
several bullets and killed while on a full gallop.
With a realization of the danger of what he was doing, Alden blew
out the tiny light and flung it to the ground. Then he hastily
retreated, turned aside and made his way in among the willows.
Everything was clear to him. A party of Indians had formed an
ambush at that point for the Pony Express Rider. In the gloom, they
may have supposed he was lying low on his horse’s back, but they
fired together and snuffed out the steed supposed to be carrying
him.
 Deep gratitude stirred Alden Payne. He had believed himself the
worst used person in the world, when he was deserted by the pony,
and, say what we please, it was a shabby act, but the offender had
paid dearly for it.
“Had he not tricked me, I should have ridden over this spot, and
that volley which laid him low, would have done the same to me.
Thank God!”
Often indeed do misfortunes prove blessings in disguise.
All the same, the young man was in a trying situation. Thus far he
had been guided by the trail of the dead pony. Now he was deprived
even of that slight help. What hope could he have of finding his way
to the station in the darkness?
The most pressing question was as to what had become of the
fiends who committed this deed. It seemed to Alden they could not
be far off, and the important thing for him to do was to get as far
away as he could, without any delay.
He dared not push directly forward, for that would lead him over
the course where the waiting red men expected the rider to pass. He
determined to make a long detour until far removed from the
dangerous spot, and then hide until daybreak, when he would renew
his search for the station not many miles distant.
All know how hard it is to keep one’s bearings in groping through
an unknown country. It is tenfold harder to do so at night, when
there is no aid whatever, and nothing to prevent yielding to that
curious tendency we all show to travel in a circle.
In the case of Alden Payne, however, a kind Providence took him
in hand. Without being aware of it, he gradually shifted his course
until he struck exactly the right one, and really advanced toward his
destination. Several times he stopped with the intention of nestling
down beside some rock, and sleeping if it should prove possible, but
the anxiety to get as far as he could from that carcass kept him
going.
 There is no saying how long he would have continued had he not
been suddenly checked by coming to the edge of another stream
which crossed his course. He had heard no warning rippling or
murmur, and almost stepped into the water before he saw what was
in front of him.
“This is the second one which, as Jenkins told me, I shall have to
cross, but plague take it! I don’t like the prospect at all.”
The stream was not more than half the width of the other, but it
might be ten times as deep and dangerous. He found it was flowing
rapidly, and it was natural that he should shrink from venturing into
its treacherous icy depth.
The fact that it was an obstacle to his progress made Alden the
more anxious to cross. Instead of waiting till the morrow, he felt he
must do so at once.
Then he asked himself whether he could not construct a raft to
bear him. He even searched up and down the bank but a few
minutes showed him the impossibility of his plan. About the only
wood he found were willows and a species of elder, none of which
was thicker than his wrist. The squat pines scattered here and there
required an axe to cut them down, and he had only his hunting
knife. Perforce he abandoned the scheme.
It was at this moment that he fancied he dimly detected tracks in
the mud on the edge of the stream. He had come so far from the
carcass of the pony that he felt little fear of the Indians. He struck
another of his matches and scrutinized the ground.
To his astonishment, he saw the prints of broad tired wagons, and
the tracks of oxen and horses. They extended as far up and down
stream as he could see. The inference was plain: in wandering from
the course of Bucephalus, he had found his way to a portion of the
main path followed by the emigrants going westward. This as was
the rule was spread over a space of a mile or more in width, and still
greater in other places.
 All Alden had to remember was not to lose sight of these
landmarks and he would reach the station sooner or later. Moreover
the evidence on the bank of the stream left no doubt that it was a
well-known ford, where teams could cross with little difficulty.
Wherefore Alden could probably do the same.
He decided to try it. Ever mindful of the inestimable value of the
mail treasure, he adjusted them with much care about his neck,
somewhat as if they were life preservers, and holding his light rifle in
his hand, he stepped cautiously into the current like an elephant
venturing upon a rickety bridge.
Ugh! as the water crept up around his knees he shuddered. He
was sure that half a degree colder would congeal it. Like some of the
great rivers of Europe, it must issue from under a mass of ice. But
he could stand it, and cheered himself with the thought that many
others must have made the same passage, for not every man could
ride in the heavy wagons of an emigrant train when fording a
stream.
“I shan’t kick if it doesn’t force me to swim, for I shall be getting
forward all the time, but when I do get across, the first thing I shall
do is to build a fire and thaw out.”
He noticed that the bottom of the stream felt hard, as if it had
been pressed down by the innumerable wheels and hoofs that had
passed over it. He reflected that if he had to swim it would be
difficult, for he could not afford to part with his rifle, and the mail
must be saved at all hazards. The one consoling thought was that
should he be forced to support himself, it would be only for a few
strokes. The creek was narrow, and when he was half way over, the
water had not yet reached his waist. It did not seem likely that the
depth would pass beyond that.
“And I’m mighty glad,” reflected Alden, beginning to step more
confidently; “it isn’t so bad to get half your body soused, but when it
comes to going all under—”
 At that instant he went “all under.” It was as if he had stepped into
a well a thousand feet deep. Not expecting anything of the kind,
Alden was not prepared, and went down like a stone.
 CHAPTER XX
A STRANGE PROCEEDING

S everal facts saved Alden Payne from drowning. In the first place,
the deep hole into which he stepped was only three or four feet
across. The space was so slight indeed that his own momentum in
walking threw him against the other side, where the water was
shallower than before. Moreover, he was a powerful swimmer, but
the strongest swimmer that ever lived could not sustain himself
when incumbered by such heavy clothing, two mail pouches and a
rifle. The youth promptly let go of the weapon, but clung to Uncle
Sam’s property as if it were his very life. It was a desperate struggle
but when he floundered to his feet he held the bags intact and they
were with him as he stepped out upon the bank.
His gun was gone beyond recovery, but he had his revolver, which
like the contents of his match safe was not affected by the
submersion. It could be fired as readily as before, though it was a
weak substitute for the gun that was gone.
But his plight could not have been more dismal. He was wet to the
skin by the frigid water which made his teeth chatter, and the night
had grown so cold that he must do something quickly to save
himself from perishing. Two plans offered themselves. His first
thought was to hunt a sheltered spot, gather wood and start a
vigorous blaze, but a minute’s reflection showed him that would
never do. Leaving out the danger of such action, the largest fire in
the open would do little good. With no blanket, his clothing
saturated and most of the warmth going to waste, he would only
make his condition more miserable. He might pivot his body to the
blaze, but he would always be chilled. It would take a long time to
collect enough fuel, and he would have to keep the fire going
throughout the night.
 The only thing that could save him was exercise. The healthful,
reviving glow must come from within, and that had to be generated
by action. He recalled the words of his father when the two were
caught in a drenching rainstorm while on a hunt deep in the forest.
“Our clothes and shoes are wet through and through; no fire we
can start in the woods will dry them or make us comfortable. When
your shoes are soaked don’t take them off even in the house, but
walk, walk, walk. Soon your chilled feet will become warm, and the
man who dries his stockings and shoes upon him will never catch
cold therefrom.”
It was the best of advice, and Alden never forgot it. He could hold
the general direction, and the few miles between him and the station
were but a brief walk for which in ordinary circumstances he would
care nothing. Before leaving the stream he did another sensible
thing. He studied the myriads of stars in the sky and fixed upon one
of the first magnitude. In the crystalline air, it gleamed like the sun it
really was. He thought it was Venus, but whether right or wrong, he
knew the location of the planet and he determined to make it his
compass.
Without such a guidance he would inevitably drift from his course,
follow a circle and come back to his starting point, or never get
anywhere except to the place he shouldn’t go.
It seemed strange to Alden that he saw no emigrant train plodding
westward. With the hundreds dotting the country all the way from
the Missouri to Salt Lake City, it would seem that he ought to be in
sight of one or more all the time, but he had not observed any since
parting from his own friends.
One welcome fact was apparent: that part of the trail over which
he was walking was more favorable than the miles already traversed.
The ground was comparatively level, though the piles of rocks, an
occasional ridge (none very high), and the growth of willows
continued at intervals. By making his detours as brief as possible, he
steadily gained ground.
 When he started he could not prevent his teeth from sounding like
the music made by “bones” at a minstrel entertainment. He shivered
and felt wretched, with the soggy leathern pouches flapping his
neck, like a grotesque tippet; but ere long his incisors stopped their
music, and the chills shook no more. Then a most glowing warmth
permeated through his body. Even the numb feet felt as if he were
toasting them in front of a fire. Clearly he had done the only sensible
thing to do.
“What’s become of Venus?” he abruptly exclaimed, stopping short
when he had gone something like a mile; “she’s played the sneak
act. That beats me!”
He located the beautiful orb well to his left instead of in front. He
knew the explanation. He had started on the tramp of a big circle
which he assuredly would have followed, but for the care he used.
The best explanation of this curious tendency is that every person
is either right or left handed. When walking without the unsuspected
guides that serve during daylight, one side displays a little more
vigor than the other, and causes a deviation from a straight course.
Alden faced about like a soldier on drill, and took care that he did
not wander astray again. If he had made no mistake at the
beginning, he was sure to arrive at his destination before long.
Twice while striding across a stretch of open ground, he fancied
he saw the twinkle of a light ahead, but in the same moment it
vanished and he concluded he was mistaken. When, however, it
shone out a third time, he no longer doubted. Although its
brightness varied it was never wholly lost.
He halted to study the manifestation, for to say the least it was
out of the usual order of things. All lights at that time of night ought
to be stationary. If it came from an emigrant camp or the window of
a cabin, it would glow steadily, but a glance showed that it was
moving. It had a rhythmic rise and fall, slight of itself, but distinct,
such as is made by a person carrying a lighted lantern as he walks,
or possibly by a horseman whose animal is on the same stride.
 “I’m like Columbus on the Santa Maria,” thought Alden; “the first
light which he saw as he drew near the New World, was carried by a
man running along the beach, though it doesn’t seem that any one
ever found who the fellow was. I wonder whether Columbus made
any attempt to do so.”
It was far more to the point for Alden to learn the meaning of
what he saw. It was not to be supposed that an Indian had anything
to do with it. Such a performance was contrary to their nature, and
to Alden it was none the less remarkable that a member of his own
race should be the cause; still it must be one or the other.
With a natural curiosity, the youth held to his course with a view
of meeting the one with the torch or lantern. The dipping motion
continued, showing that the stranger was either walking or riding a
horse.
It was hard to tell how far away a light is at night, but Alden must
have cut down the interval two-thirds, when he asked himself
whether it was prudent to meet a stranger in this manner. The latter
would have a rifle, while the younger was confined to his revolver.
Though it was probable that nothing was to be feared from the man
Alden was wise in using caution.
Looking about for a hiding place, he could descry none in the
obscurity. He ran a few paces until well to one side of the course of
the stranger, when he sat down on the ground. The next minute he
saw the other was riding a horse on a walk. Moreover he had no
companion. The flickering rays did not tell this as much as the
hoofbeats, which were those of a single animal. The illumination
added a little more. The left arm was thrust through a large ring at
the top of a lantern and thus supported it. Alden could make out in
the reflection the stranger’s hands (one of which grasped the
knotted bridle reins), the pommel of his saddle, and the tuft of hair
at the base of his pony’s neck, but everything else was invisible in
the darkness.
 Yielding to a strange misgiving, Alden had lain flat on the ground
to escape discovery. When the pony came opposite, he was within a
dozen paces, near enough to scent that something was amiss. He
snorted and leaped the other way. In the same instant the lantern
flirted upward. Its uncertain light, revealed that the stranger had
brought his rifle to his shoulder and was aiming at the point of
disturbance.
“Don’t fire!” called the youth, springing to his feet; “I’m a friend.”
The other had soothed the fright of his horse and held him
motionless. The rider did not speak and Alden, after a minute’s
hesitation, walked up to him.
“Who are you and why do you carry that lantern?” asked the
youth, looking up from the stirrup of the man. The latter lowered his
weapon and peered down at him. He did not hold the light above his
head, so Alden could not see his face. He was vexed by the
persistent silence of the individual.
“Are you deaf and dumb?” sharply demanded our young friend.
Still the horseman did not utter a word. He grunted once and
touched spur to his pony. The animal made a bound, and would
have dashed off on a run, had not his master jerked him down to a
walk. Then he moved off in the shadows, the rider still silent.
Alden looked after him in the gloom. Man and brute had
disappeared but the light twinkled and dipped as before.
“That is a little ahead of anything I ever saw before!” was the
exclamation of the puzzled Alden; “we have plenty of mutes in the
east but I never met any on the plains, and I don’t believe he is one.
I should set him down as a fool or one gone crazy.”
By and by the soft hoofbeats died out, ever on the same
deliberate walk. The pony would have gone faster had his master
permitted, and why he did not was altogether beyond the
understanding of the mystified lad.
 But the questions could not be answered by standing in the midst
of the plain and guessing and staring. The soggy pouches about his
shoulders would not allow Alden to forget his duty. Besides, the
soaked leather with its contents was growing heavy, and the brisk
gait he had maintained for the last half hour or more was telling on
him. He was weary and would have been glad of a rest.
“They must have known long ago at the station that something
has happened to Dick Lightfoot; I should think they would search for
him. If that man on horseback had not carried a light and locked his
lips, I could believe that was his business, but he is acting in a way I
don’t understand.”
Venus held her proper place among the other brilliant orbs
overhead, and the lusty youth swung off vigorously, determined to
keep at it without further stop, provided nothing unusual checked
him.
Surely that was another light which he caught a long way ahead.
A second glance revealed that it was not of the nature of the last.
The glow was unwavering. It must be the big camp fire of a wagon
train. Though certain on this point, Alden would not have turned
aside, but the camp lay almost directly in front and he would soon
come to it.
He decided to stop long enough to learn how far away the station
was. If he had gone astray and the distance was far, he would rest,
for he needed it, but if the interval was not great he would press on.
His first supposition proved right. In less than half an hour, he
came up to a circle of white-topped Conestogas, in the midst of
which a huge fire was blazing. Although it was not late, the evening
meal had been eaten, and most of the tired travelers had withdrawn
into the wagons and were asleep. Sentinels of course were placed,
and Alden was challenged as he came out of the darkness. His
response was satisfactory, and he walked between two of the
lumbering vehicles to the cheerful blaze, around which half a dozen
men were seated on the ground, smoking and talking together.
 All looked up as he came forward and bade them good evening.
His appearance was interesting, for he was on foot, carried no rifle,
but had a couple of mail pouches slung over his shoulders. He flung
them to the ground with a sigh of relief, looked around and laughed
as he exclaimed:
“I’m glad to get rid of them for awhile.”
A tall, bearded man rose to his feet and walked toward him. He
asked in surprise:
“What are you doing with the United States mail?”
“Trying to reach the station.”
“You are not the regular carrier.”
“The Indians got him; he was killed a long way back, beyond the
other station.”
“Where is his pony?”
“I left him at the station, mounted another, that gave me the slip,
was shot by Indians and I have made the rest of the way on foot.”
“Well, you are a hero!” was the admiring comment.
“Not by any means; any one could have done as well.”
The youth now looked more searchingly at the speaker, whose
voice had a familiar sound. To his astonishment, he recognized him
as Garret Chadwick, uncle of Ross Brandley. Alden at last had
overtaken the other train, and would meet the combative youth for
whom he had looked in vain throughout the past weeks.
The caller involuntarily glanced around. A dozen persons were in
sight, most of them within the circle of light cast by the camp fire,
while two or three were moving about a little farther off. Among
them was none who resembled young Brandley.
Alden had not yet sat down, tired as he was. His wish to deliver
the mail pressed upon him.
 “Can you tell me how near I am to the station?” he asked of Mr.
Chadwick.
“Almost within a stone’s throw; yonder it is.”
Looking in the direction he pointed, Alden saw the dull glow of
light from the loopholes of the structure, not far beyond the confines
of the camp. It was singular that he had not noticed it as he came
up, but the bigger illumination obscured the lesser.
“I must go,” he said; “a good deal of time has been already lost.”
“Will you not come back and spend the night with us? We can give
you comfortable quarters in one of the wagons.”
“Thank you; I may do so.”
He was about to move off when the other with a laugh asked:
“Did you see anything of a man on horseback carrying a lantern?”
Alden was all attention.
“I did, and I couldn’t make him speak a word; do you know what
it meant?”
Chadwick laughed again.
“I called at the station a little while ago; they are much disturbed
over the absence of Lightfoot the Pony Express Rider. One of the
four was so certain that he would turn up before supper that after a
hot argument, he made a freak bet. He agreed that if Lightfoot had
not come by that time, he would carry a lighted lantern on
horseback over both streams that have to be crossed between here
and the station to the east. One condition was that he was not to
speak a word to any one except the missing man. Of course if he ran
into danger he might be compelled to yell, and, if he met Lightfoot
on the way, he had the right to turn and come back with him. Failing
in that, he must make the ride I have named.
“I have heard of a good many fool wagers, but I never knew
anything more absurd than that. Well, the others wouldn’t delay
supper a single minute, and I think they hurried through with it. The
fellow who had made the bet was game. He saddled his pony,
lighted the lantern and started off. I forgot to say that another
condition was that his animal should not trot or gallop, but walk
every step of the way out and back. He was sticking to the
conditions when you saw him.”
“He certainly was, for I couldn’t make him open his mouth, and
his pony never changed his pace. Well, I must go to the station and,
gentlemen, I bid you all good-night.”
 CHAPTER XXI
A SETBACK

T he arrival of Alden Payne at the station and the story which he

carried caused a profound sensation. When the door was opened
in response to his knock, he dropped the pouches on the floor, sat
down on the nearest stool and exclaimed:
“There’s your mail; the Indians got Dick Lightfoot.”
And then as the hardy fellows gathered round him, he told the
experience with which you are familiar. Even in their grief they did
not forget their courtesy. He was pressed to eat, but replied that he
had partaken so late in the day and was so tired that he had no
appetite: all he wanted was rest. They talked a few minutes longer
and then he was urged to lie down in one of the bunks. This brought
the question that was on his tongue when he entered the cabin:
“What are you going to do with the mail?”
“I shall be on road in ten minutes,” replied one of the three, a man
of slight figure, bright eyes and alert manner.
“Won’t you let me take it?”
They looked at one another in astonishment. Then the eldest, who
had done most of the talking for his friends, said with a smile:
“You haven’t any pony.”
“But you have.”
“You have never been over the route and don’t know the way.”
“The pony does; I brought the mail here and this is the first time I
was ever so far west.”
“But you are worn out.”
 “How far is it to the next station?”
“A little short of twelve miles, but a part of the way is pretty tough
and you’re liable to run into redskins before you’re out of sight of the
station.”
The men admired the pluck of the youth, but they would have
been foolish to yield to him. The mail was certainly safer in charge of
one of their number than with a youth who was strange to the
country. They shook their heads, and, since there was no help for it,
Alden lay down on the couch which felt as delightful to his body as
eider down. He could hardly keep awake while removing his clothing
and five minutes after his head pressed the doubled blanket which
served for a pillow, he was asleep, and did not open his eyes until
the morning light streamed through the windows and the door that
was drawn far back.
One of the men was preparing breakfast and the odor of the
steaming coffee and broiling venison was the sweetest perfume that
could greet a hungry person. The others were outside looking after
the ponies and attending to their ablutions. After greeting his host,
Alden was directed to the spring near at hand, where he bathed and
drank. That finished, he surveyed the emigrant camp. Everything
there was bustle and activity. Breakfast was also in course of
preparation, and men were corraling the animals that were cropping
the lush grass and holding back from harness and yoke.
“They won’t start for an hour,” reflected Alden, as he walked back
to the cabin; “after breakfast, I’ll go over and call on Mr. Ross
Brandley. He must have learned of my arrival from his uncle, and
there shouldn’t be any trouble about arranging for a meeting
between him and me. We are both traveling in the same direction,
and I don’t think he feels backward about that little matter. In fact
he has proved he doesn’t. I’ll give him the fight of his life!”
And Alden compressed his lips and walked more briskly to the
door through which he passed, entering as the others were sitting
down to the table. He was greeted warmly and knew he could not
have been more welcome.
It impressed Alden that two facts were self-evident: since all the
men were present the rider who had taken charge of the mail must
have carried it to the next station and returned during the night.
Inasmuch as the entire ride was less than twenty-five miles the
achievement was not remarkable, when the circumstances are
remembered. Every rider had a swift intelligent pony, and both were
familiar with the route.
Moreover, since the force at the station had increased from three
to four men, one of them must be the horseman whom Alden met,
and who refused to speak a word to him. A glance at the different
ones told the youth which was he, but, as he made no reference to
his freak bet, the guest did not think it well to mention it.
Having thanked the men for their hospitality, Alden rose to go.
Addressing the one who had announced his intention of carrying the
mail to the next station, he asked:
“Did you have any trouble in getting through last night?”
“Who? Me? None at all,” replied the rider with a grin, “’cause I
didn’t go.”
“Which one of you made the trip?”
And Alden looked from one face to the other. The tallest man, the
chief speaker replied:
“None of this crowd went.”
“Hasn’t the mail been sent on? Then I shall take it after all.”
“Oh, the mail reached the station long ago if all went well; one of
the party in camp over yonder took it.”
This was strange and Alden asked:
“How was that? I don’t understand it, when you refused me the
chance.”
 “I should have given you the chance, if you hadn’t been tuckered
out; the fellow who took the mail was as fresh as a daisy and eager
for the trip.”
A suspicion flashed upon Alden.
“What is his name?”
“He is a young chap about your size and build: name’s Brandley,
Ross Brandley.”
Alden sprang to his feet.
“And you let him rob me of my honors! The last fellow in the
world!”
The four men looked at him in astonishment. The tallest asked:
“What do you mean?”
Alden saw the absurdity of his action. Resuming his seat, he said:
“I beg your pardon; how came you to select him?”
“You hadn’t laid down ten minutes when he came over from camp.
He said he had some important business with you and wanted us to
wake you. That didn’t seem right, seeing how tired you were, and he
agreed to wait till morning. Then he saw Cal about to start with the
mail and the notion got into his head that it was the job next to his
heart. He begged to be allowed to take his place. He wouldn’t accept
no for an answer, and I was fool enough to give in, doing something
contrary to the rules and if anything happens to him, I shall get into
trouble for it.”
“He rode on my pony, that knows every foot of the way,” added
the rider referred to as Cal; “I guess he got through.”
After a moment’s silence, Alden asked:
“Did he leave any message for me?”
The agent glanced to the rider to answer.
 “He told me to let you know his name and to say that, as you had
given up your job, he took pity on you and would finish it for you.
He would try to fix things so you wouldn’t have to wait long for the
meeting which he’s a good deal more anxious than you to bring
about.”
Poor Alden Payne! He was “boiling.” Nothing could have occurred
to roil him more deeply. After completing two-thirds of the trip with
the mail pouches and going through terrifying perils, his enemy, as
he persisted in regarding him, had quietly stepped in and stolen the
honor from him. Not only that, but he had left an insulting message,
as if his act itself were not sufficient.
Our young friend could see no “ray of light.” Had he possessed his
own pony he would have started in hot pursuit of Brandley, but
Firebug was with the train and until he came up, no animal was at
command. It was useless to ask the agent to loan him one of his
horses, for there was not the slightest reason for doing so and every
reason why he should not.
The chagrined Alden tried to formulate some plan by which he
could even up matters with the fellow who had treated him so ill. He
thought of going on afoot, but that would have been folly. The only
method seemed to accompany the emigrant train until it met
Brandley returning, or overtook him at the next station; but, to do
that, placed him in a delicate and repugnant position. He would
travel as the guest in one sense of Brandley’s relative, who was the
head of the company. That fact must act as a restraint upon the
nephew, and to a certain extent upon Alden himself. The foes must
meet upon neutral ground, where the duty of hospitality did not bear
upon either.
Seeing the train about to start, Alden, restless, impatient and
trying hard to hide his anger, walked over to camp and went straight
to Mr. Chadwick.
“I should like to ask,” he said; “how you came to allow Ross to
take my place.”
 The man was nettled by the unconscious brusqueness of Alden’s
manner.
“Explain yourself,” he said, moving aside where the others who
looked inquiringly at them, could not overhear what was said.
“I brought the mail pouches from the last station and expected to
take them on to the next as I had a right to do.”
“Well, what of it?”
“And your nephew sneaked over and took them away from me.”
“Did the agent give him permission?”
“Certainly, though he now regrets it.”
“Then your question should be addressed to him and not to me.”
“You shouldn’t have permitted your nephew to do such a thing.”
“Since when have you assumed to advise me, young man? In the
first place, Ross didn’t ask my permission, nor did I know he had
gone until this morning.”
“And you would not have allowed him to do what he did had you
known it?”
“I haven’t said that nor do I say it now; what I do say is that I am
much pleased to bid you good morning.”
With which curt dismissal, Garret Chadwick turned about and gave
his attention to the starting of the train, which was in motion a few
minutes later.
Repulsed and turned back at all points Alden was in an unenviable
frame of mind. He knew he had acted inexcusably toward Mr.
Chadwick, and he would have apologized had the opportunity been
given. Had he decided to go with his party to the next station, he
could not do so after these words. He wandered back to the station
where he sat down on one of the stools that had been brought
outside and gloomily watched the lumbering wagons as they swung
slowly westward under the strenuous pull of the oxen.
 The result of all this dismal cogitation was the decision that there
remained but the single thing to do: he must wait at the station until
the arrival of the train under Shagbark’s guidance.
“He ought to be here by to-night or to-morrow forenoon. Before
that, Chadwick and his party will be at the next station, and so many
miles ahead of us that we shan’t overtake them this side of Salt Lake
City, if we do even there.
“Ross Brandley is running away from me!” exclaimed Alden
slapping his knee; “there isn’t a doubt of it. He knew that if he
stayed in camp nothing would prevent our meeting to-day, so he
made the excuse of wishing to carry the mail to the next station.
When he gets there he’ll wait for his friends, and be gone long
before we can come up with him.”
And this conclusion did not add to the young man’s peace of mind.
He must pass the dragging hours as best he could until the arrival of
his friends. He rose to his feet with the intention of taking the back
trail to meet them, but gave over the plan when he reflected that
the breadth of the route made it very easy for him to miss them.
“It would be my luck to do so,” he growled; “everything goes
wrong with me.”
The man inside the cabin having cleared away the dishes and set
matters to right, sat down on a bench and began mending his
clothes; two others had gone off to look after the horses, which
were grazing some distance away among the foothills. Probably they
would go on a little hunt before their return. Cal the diminutive rider
came out, bringing a stool with him and placed it beside the glum
Alden.
“Sorry you feel so bad, my young friend: I had no idea of anything
of the kind. Ross never told me of the trouble between you and
him.”
“Of course not; he was afraid you would make him stay here till I
could see him.”
 Cal swung one of his sinewy legs over the other knee, struck a fly
crawling several feet away, with a well aimed volley of discolored
spittle, and said:
“No; I don’t think it was that; you must remember he was eager
to wake you up when he first come to quarters.”
“I’m sorry you didn’t let him do so.”
“So am I, seeing how you feel. What’s your quarrel with him? I
liked the fellow first rate, what little I seen of him.”
Alden told of the interrupted fray in St. Joe, when Brandley
bumped into him, and instead of apologizing, added insulting words.
“Can’t say that I blame you for being r’iled, but I should like to ask
a favor of you.”
“What is it?”
“When that fight comes off, fix things so I can observe it. I know
it’ll be a hummer.”
Alden could not help smiling.
“I’m sure I have no objection, but I don’t see much chance of
obliging you. He has left here and isn’t likely to come back.”
“But I can fix things so as to ride to the next station when the mail
comes in from the east.”
“Well, if you are in the neighborhood, I’ll give you a reserved
seat.”
“That’s the talk; I’ll do my best.”
“You mustn’t forget that he is running away from me.”
Cal swung the other leg over its mate and submerged a fly that
was groping far beyond ordinary hydraulic range. Raising his hand
he protested:
“Hold on, pardner; young Brandley ain’t running away from you.”
“How do you know he isn’t?”
 “I warn’t with him long, but long enough to see what kind of stuff
he’s made of; he’s true blue and don’t you forget it. He’ll be waiting
for you when you get to the next station and you can then have it
out.”
“I hope so, but I doubt it.”
“He’ll never show the white feather, more than you will.”
Inasmuch as Cal included Alden in this compliment, our young
friend could make no objection to the same.
 CHAPTER XXII
JETHRO’S SECRET AND WHAT FOLLOWED

T he day was crisp, clear and sunshiny, Alden strove to shake off
the feelings that oppressed him. He knew he was not treating his
hospitable friends right, for they had shown him every courtesy, as
they would have done had he chosen to spend weeks at the mail
station; Cal invited him to go on a hunting excursion after the
midday meal. Ordinarily the youth would have accepted eagerly, but
his mood forced him to decline.
Inasmuch as he had had plenty of sleep, he could get no more. He
strolled about the open space, pausing now and then to survey
through his glasses the snowy peaks which towered far into the sky
to the westward, or at the lower hills to the north, where the gnarled
pine, the dwarfed cedar, the rushing torrents and the gorges made
up one of the many wild regions which abound over thousands of
square miles of area. Abundance of game was there always with the
added spice of danger from the dusky hunters who preferred to bag
the white invaders in preference to deer, antelope, buffalo, or
mountain sheep.
The location of the station shortened the view to the southeast
from which Shagbark must come. There were too many obstacles
and variations of the landscape to permit one to see far in that
direction, but Alden continued to look, as the afternoon waned,
yearning for the sight of the slow moving train.
Suddenly the still air was pierced by a wild shout. It was the
“coyote yell,” of the Pony Express Rider coming from the west.
Seemingly in the same moment, Cal hurried round the corner of the
cabin, leading one of the wiry half-breed horses by the bridle. The
man from within the building came through the door and peered in
the direction of the sound. The other two were still absent hunting
among the foothills.
Up the slope from behind the rocks and dwarfed cedars burst the
rider and his horse. The panting animal was covered with lather and
glistening sweat. The sight was similar to that which Alden, who
leaped to his feet at the signal, had seen many times. The broad-
brimmed hat flaring up in front, the fluttering handkerchief about the
neck, the fringed collar, the close fitting coat, cartridge belt at the
waist, gloved hands, revolver at the hip, rifle across his thighs,
fringed trouser legs, tucked just below the knees into the boots,
spurs, keen, alert eyes, body leaning slightly forward but as firm in
the saddle, as if the rider were a part of the pony; these with mail
pouches locked and secured in place, were the noticeable points of
the man who dashed up at headlong speed his horse setting his legs
and coming to a stop within a single bound.
“Howdy, Cal? Howdy, Bill?”
“Howdy, Jim?”
The words were yet in the air, when the rider leaped to the
ground, whirled about and began unfastening the mail bags. Cal
helped, they were slung upon the back of the waiting pony and Jim
vaulted into the saddle, caught up the reins and pricked the flanks of
his animal with his keen spurs.
During the few seconds this operation required, Cal asked:
“Did the mail get in all right from the east?”
“Pony galloped up before midnight, with the bags without a
scratch.”
“Good—”
“But the Indians got the rider; haven’t seen hide or hair of him.
I’m off!”
And without another word, his horse thundered on a dead run to
the southeast.
 The astounded Alden turned to follow him with his eyes, when he
descried a tall bony horse approaching, on whose back was a
massive man with shaggy whiskers, and a pipe in his mouth.
“Hello, Shagbark!” shouted the youth, running toward him
delighted and yet awed by the awful message the Pony Express
Rider flung at them. He had veered so as to avoid the approaching
train, and was already beyond sight.
The grim veteran did not try to hide his delight at sight of the
young man. The movement of his heavy beard around his mouth
showed he was grinning. Leaning over, he reached down and almost
crushed the hand that was offered him.
“B’ars and bufflers, younker! but I’m powerful glad to see ye; I’ve
been more worried than I let on to the other folks.”
“I’m sound and unharmed, thank Heaven, Shagbark, though I had
a pretty tough time of it. Is every one else well?”
“They war a few minutes ago,” replied the guide, turning in his
saddle and looking back as if not sure everything was right.
The plodding train was rounding into sight, and at the head was
Jethro Mix on his horse. Alden waved his hand. The dusky fellow
stared a minute unable to grasp the situation. Then, recognizing his
young master, he banged his heels against the ribs of Jilk, and
cantered up.
“Gorrynation! if it doan’ do my eyes good to hear you and my ears
good to see you! I’ve been worrying awful and was gwine to start
out to hunt you up if you hadn’t been here.”
In the exuberance of his delight, Jethro slipped to the ground and
warmly shook the hand of the one whom he loved more than any
person in the world.
“We’ll camp hyar!” called Shagbark to the teamsters, all of whom
had come within easy reach of his voice.
 While the wagons were assuming position, and the men preparing
to spend the night where Chadwick’s party had camped the night
before, Alden exchanged greetings with Mr. Fleming, his wife and
the remainder of his friends. Then excusing himself for a few
minutes, he ran to the station where the agent and his companion
were curiously watching the movements of the emigrants.
“What do you make of the words of the rider?” asked Alden in a
trembling voice. The two looked at him and the elder replied with
the question:
“What can you make of it except what he said?”
“Do you think Brandley has been killed by the Indians?”
“As sure as you’re standing there,” replied the taller; “the biggest
tomfool thing I ever done was to let him start off with the mail. It
means my finish.”
Bill thought more of the trouble coming to him than he did of the
fate that had overtaken poor Ross Brandley.
“Can’t anything be done for him?” asked Alden swallowing the
lump in his throat.
“Not a thing; he isn’t the first one the Indians got and he won’t be
the last by a jugful.”
It was Cal who now spoke.
“There ain’t any doubt that he was shot from the back of the
pony, which dashed off and ran to the station with the mail. If we’d
let you start out with the pouches, as you wanted to do, that’s what
would have become of you.”
But Alden was not thinking of that. He was distressed beyond
words at the dreadful fate that had overtaken the youth with whom
he quarreled and whom he was anxious to meet that the wrangle
might be fought to a finish.
“All day while I have been brooding and hating him he has been
lying somewhere in the solitude looking up to the sky and seeing it
not. God forgive me!”
Angered by the indifference of the two men, Alden turned back
and joined Shagbark, who had dismounted and removed the saddle
and bridle of his horse. Jethro had done the same, and the three
stood a little apart from the others. Alden had taken a minute or two
to caress his pony, which whinnied with pleasure at meeting him,
but the master was in too great anguish to pay the animal the
attention he would have paid in any other circumstances.
The three were grouped together, and Jethro and Shagbark looked
into the handsome face that could not hide its grief.
Then in as few words as possible Alden told the dreadful story. As
soon as he had finished Jethro with a countenance hardly less
distressed, said:
“Al, you never let me tell you dat secret I wanted to tell you.”
“I have no patience to listen now: more important matters are on
my mind.”
“But you’v got hear it or I’ll bust.”
“Go ahead,” said Shagbark, who saw that it had some bearing on
the sore trouble of his young friend.
“You remember in St. Joe, when dat chap butted into you?”
“Of course, but never mind about that.”
“Do you know what he said to you?”
“I don’t remember, and I don’t care.”
“You neber had de rights ob dat; I stubbed my toe, bumped agin
him and knocked him agin you. De minute he did dat, he turned to
you and said, ‘I beg your pardon!’ but you thinked he said something
insulting, but he didn’t.”
Alden stared at Jethro.
“Are you speaking the truth?” he asked in a husky voice.
 “As suah’s as you’s standing dere and me here.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this before?”
“I tried to seberal times but you wouldn’t let me.”
“Why didn’t you tell me at the time?”
Jethro chuckled.
“I wanted to see de fout.”
“Jeth, I ought to beat the life out of you for that.”
“Dat’s what I thinks; here am your gun; take hold of the barrel
and break it ober my head; I won’t say a word.”
And the fellow handed the weapon to his master and meekly
awaited his pleasure.
“To think,” said Alden, as if talking to himself; “that Ross Brandley
acted the gentleman and I the brute. No wonder he resented it
when I refused to receive his apology. I thank Heaven we did not
meet while I knew not the truth. Ah, if I could have seen him before
this last happened and told him my regrets!”
Shagbark had remained silent until now. He stepped forward and
laid his big hand affectionately on the shoulder of Alden.
“Don’t take it so to heart, younker: thar’s one chance in a hundred
that yer young friend, as I ’spose ye call him, is alive.”
“Oh, I hope so, but it is impossible.”
“Not much chance, but thar is one as I obsarved in a hundred.
Wait till we git to the next station. It mought be that when he seen
things looked squally he slipped off his pony and took to kiver. Not
much chance I say, but it may be. Let’s hope till we hyar more.”
Alden took slight comfort from the words of his rough friend, who
had little faith himself in them.
Because of this affliction, the train started at an unusually early
hour the next morning. It arrived without incident at the next mail
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