et me to wondering, Doc.
What I want to know is this: in how many other, still undiscovered
ways, has Trevors been knifing us? And what else will he have ready to
spring on us now?"

"Just what do you mean?" Tripp looked a her keenly.

"This case of lung-worm, to begin with: where did it come from?"

"Imported," said Tripp. "Trevors bought those calves, or at least four
of the sick ones, last month. Brought them in from somewhere down the
river. Smuggled 'em in, so far as I am concerned. Never gave me a
chance to look them over." He paused a second. "Specially imported, I
might say."

"I knew it!" cried Judith. "That's the sort of thing I am afraid of.
If he has gone to the limit of introducing one disease among our
cattle, what other plagues has he brought to the ranch? Has he
imported any other outside stock?"

"No. He's been busier selling at a sacrifice than buying, just as I
wrote you. Never another head has he bought lately--unless," and
Tripp's eyes twinkled at her, "you count pigeons!"

"Pigeons!" repeated Judith.

Tripp nodded.

"Funny, isn't it," he went on lightly--"that a man like Bayne Trevors,
hard as nails and as free of sentiment as a mule, should fancy little
cooing, innocent-like pigeons? You'll hear them in the morning."

But Judith was not to be distracted by Tripp's talk. She smiled at
him, however, to show him that she had understood and appreciated the
purpose back of his light words.

"We're all going to have our hands full for a spell, Doc," was what she
said. "To Trevors, with a free swing here, it must have appeared
rather a simple matter to make so complete a failure as to force us,
encumbered as we are, into selling out to the highest bidder inside the
year. Especially when he counted young Pollock Hampton as a man
without business experience and Judith Sanford as a girl without
brains! But, Doc, he must have known, too, that at any time there
might occur the very thing which has happened--that he'd lose his job.
He strikes me as a rather long-headed man, doesn't he you? Now, a man
who saw ahead, figuring on this very contingency, would have more than
one trick up his sleeve. We've caught him, luckily, at the sick-calf
game, before it is too late. I think that the obvious thing for you to
do is to make certain that all the rest of the stock are in shape.
Will you begin to-morrow making a thorough investigation?"

"Yes," he answered. "You're right there, Jud