ips together. "Since I first bought a bunch of
cattle," he drawled, "the round-up has never failed to start some time
during this month. Is it vitally important that it should _not_ start?"

"_I've_ got to start at once, or I can't catch it." I fancied, just then,
that I detected a glimmer of amusement on Crawford's face. I wanted to hit
him with something.

"Is there any reason why it must be caught?" dad wanted to know, in his
worst tone, which is almost diabolically calm.

"Yes," I rapped out, growing a bit riled, "there is. I can't stand this
do-nothing existence any longer. You brought me up to it, and never let me
know anything about your business, or how to help you run it--"

"It never occurred to me," drawled dad, "that I needed help to run my
business."

"And last spring you rose up, all of a sudden, and started in to cure me
of being a drone. The medicine you used was strong; it did the business
pretty thoroughly. You've no kick coming at the result. I'm going to
start to-morrow."

Dad looked at me till I began to feel squirmy. I've thought since that he
wasn't as surprised as I imagined, and that, on the whole, he was pleased.
But, if he was, he was mighty careful not to show it.

"You would better give me a list of your debts, then," he said
laconically. "I shall see that your allowance goes on just the same; you
may want to invest in--er--cattle."

"Thank you, dad," I said, and turned to go.

"And I wish to Heaven," he called after me, "that you'd take Rankin along
and turn him loose out there. He might do to herd sheep. I'm sick of that
hark-from-the-tombs face of his. I made a footman of him while you were
gone before, rather than turn him off; but I'm damned if I do it again."

I stopped just short of the door and grinned back at him. "Rankin,"
I said, "is one of the horrors I'm trying to leave behind, dad."

But dad had gone back to his correspondence. "In regard to that Clark,
Marsden, and Clark affair, I think, Crawford, it would be well--"

I closed the door quietly and left them. It was dad's way, and I laughed a
little to myself as I was going back to my room to round up Rankin and set
him to packing. I meant to stand over him with a club this time, if
necessary, and see that I got what I wanted packed.

The next evening I started again for Montana--and I didn't go in dad's
private car, either. Save for the fact that I had no grievance with him,
and that we ate dinner alone together