she caught herself
wondering what each one would do if suddenly transplanted to the
environment of the other. Then her mind occupied itself with Harris
who would soon break out the first plow furrow that had ever scarred
the range within a radius of fifty miles and she pictured again a sign
she had seen that day: "Squatter let your wagon wheels keep turning."

VIII

Three heavy wagons, each drawn by four big mules, traveled north along
the Coldriver stage trail. Every wagon was loaded to the brim of the
triple box. Two men were mounted on each wagon seat, the man beside
the driver balancing a rifle across his knees. The butt of another
protruded from a saddle scabbard that was lashed to each wagon within
easy reach of the man who handled the reins.

"Nice place to camp, Tiny," said the guard on the lead wagon. He
pointed off across a flat beside the road toward a sign that loomed in
the center. The black-browed giant designated as Tiny swung the mules
off the road and headed for the sign. The three wagons were drawn up
some fifteen yards apart in the shape of a triangle, the mules
unhitched and given a feed of grain from nose-bags, tied to the wagons
and supplied with baled hay. Tiny walked over and viewed the sign.

"Squatter don't let sunset find you here," he read.

"It's about that time now," he observed, squinting over his shoulder.
"It'd be a mistake to leave evidence like that around." He tore down
the sign and worked it into firewood with an axe. "Now they can't do
nothing to us for drifting in here by error," he remarked to his
companions. "It wouldn't be fair."

While four of them slept the other two remained awake, rousing a second
pair after a three-hour period. In the morning the three wagons
lumbered on. Near sunset they passed another sign where the Three Bar
road branched off to the left. Tiny pulled up the mules.

"Uproot that little beauty, Russet," he advised. "We're getting close
to home."

The carrot-haired guard descended and threw his weight against the
sign, working it from side to side until the posts were loosened in the
ground, pried it up and loaded it on the wagon.

"Quick work, Russ," the big man complimented. "For a little sawed-off
runt, you're real spry and active." He clucked to the mules and they
settled steadily into the collars and moved on to the Three Bar. As
they rolled up the lane the freighters could see the chuck wagon drawn
up before the hous