and once in a while a man would
come to the fire and drink and joke with the others. Dave came after a
time. He saw Sid with Rix by the tree. Sid had tied the horse there.

"Come over to the fire, and get warm," said Dave.

Sid went. One of the men held out a bottle to Dave. He took it, and
drank.

"Give some to the youngster," said the man good-naturedly. "He's tired
driving cattle, I reckon."

Dave looked at Sid, but Sid shook his head.

"Too fine to drink with us cowboys?" asked the man by the fire.

"Let him alone," said Dave. "He ain't going to drink if he don't want
to."

Sid went back to his tree. He put an old gray quilt around him, and
lay down. Then he remembered. He rose again, and knelt in the dark by
the tree trunk. He asked God to keep the cattle from injuring anybody,
and to keep the men and Dave from becoming very drunk. Sid was afraid.

He lay down again. Once in a while he looked over toward the fire.
Dave came to it sometimes, and always one or the other of the men
offered him a bottle. Sometimes Dave acted as though he were going to
refuse; but the other men always joked, and then Dave drank.

"Why doesn't he stay away from the fire if he doesn't want to drink?"
thought Sid. "Maybe he's cold. I wonder if mother--"

He went to sleep.

Next day they drove the cattle again a long, long way. At last they
came to a town. There was the railroad, and there were the stock cars.
When the cattle were on board, Dave and Sid jumped on their horses.

"Want to stay in town over night?" asked Dave. "Like a little change
from the hills?"

"Let's go and get something to eat," said one of the other men, who
rode up. "I want somethin' different from ranch cookin'. Ain't a
first-class cook myself."

Sid was glad to eat bread that did not have yellow streaks in it. He
was glad to have some meat, too. But, after eating, the other man said
to Dave:

"Come take a drink."

They were on the sidewalk, untying their horses. Sid pulled Dave by
the sleeve.

"Don't," whispered Sid.

Dave stopped and smiled.

"Come on!" said the other man.

"I don't get down to town only once in a while," said Dave. "Never
drink other times, Sid."

He went with the man. Sid waited; it seemed to him that he had to wait
a long time.

"Round-ups are bad things for Dave," thought he. "Mother'd be sorry."

There was a great noise from the saloon on the corner. Pretty soon
Dave came out. He loo