ight with anger.
"And see that he doesn't go Shorty's trail. Poker Face, have you
anything else to say for yourself?"

"No," answered Poker Face.

"Then," cried Judith hotly, "you can have your time right now! Donley,
here, I'll prosecute. He's going to pay for this morning's work. I've
got nothing on you. It's up to you to see that I don't get it! And
you can tell Shorty for me--yes, and Quinnion too, and Bayne Trevors,
if you like--that I am ready and waiting for your next play! And don't
forget that when San Quentin is full there's still room in Folsom."

Judith telephoned Emmet Sawyer that she had a man for him. Lee and
Carson conducted an expostulating Donley to the grain-house and jailed
him wordlessly. Then Carson put a man on guard at the door, daylight
though it was. When all was done he filled his pipe slowly and turned
troubled eyes after Poker Face.

"She made a mistake there, though," he said regretfully. "A better
cow-hand I never ask to see, Bud. An' you ought to see the game of
crib that man plays! Nope, Judy; you're wrong there."

But Bud Lee, the man who did not approve of the sort of woman who did
man's work, said with unusual warmth:

"Don't you fool yourself, Carson! She hasn't made one little misplay
yet!"

XVII

"ONCE A FOOL--ALWAYS A FOOL"

Though, under the surface, life upon Blue Lake ranch was sufficiently
tense, the remaining days of June frivoled by as bright and bonny as
the little meadow-blues flirting with the field-flowers.

Since from the very first the ranch had been short-handed, the hours
from dawn to dusk were filled with activity. Carson, who, true to
Judith's expectations, had brought back some new ideas from his few
days at the experimental farm--ideas not to be admitted by Carson,
however--bought a hundred young steers from a neighboring overstocked
range. In the lower corrals the new milking-machines were working
smoothly, only a few of the older cows refusing to have anything to do
with them.

Tripp had succeeded in locating and getting back some of the men who
had worked long under Luke Sanford and whom Trevors had discharged. It
was a joy to see the familiar faces of Sunny Harper, Johnny Hodge, Bing
Kelley, Tod Bruce. The alfalfa acreage was extended, a little more
than doubled. Plans were made for an abundance of dry fodder to be fed
with the lush silage during the coming lean months. Bud Lee broke his
string of horses, and with Tomm