never was lucky. Here I
wouldn't 'a' missed seeing you pull off this Samson _encore_ for three
cows on the hoof, and I get in too late for the show."

"They're not hurt badly, are they?" asked Beaudry, a little timidly.

Dave looked at him with a curious little smile. "You don't want to go
back and do the job more thorough, do you? No need, son. Meldrum and
Charlton are being patched up in the hospital and Hart is at Doc
White's having the glass picked out of his geography. I've talked with
some of the also rans, and they tell me unanimous that it was the most
thorough clean-up they have participated in recently."

"What will they do--after they get over it?"

Dingwell grinned. "Search me! But I'll tell you what they won't do.
They'll not invite you to take another drink right away. I'll bet a
hat on that. . . . Come on, son. We got to hit the trail for home."

Chapter XVII

Roy Improves the Shining Hours

The tender spring burnt into crisp summer. Lean hill cattle that had
roughed through the winter storms lost their shaggy look and began to
fill out. For there had been early rains and the bunch grass was
succulent this year.

Roy went about learning his new business with an energy that delighted
his partner. He was eager to learn and was not too proud to ask
questions. The range conditions, the breeding of cattle, and
transportation problems were all studied by him. Within a month or two
he had become a fair horseman and could rope a steer inexpertly.

Dingwell threw out a suggestion one day in his characteristic casual
manner. The two men were riding a line fence and Roy had just missed a
shot at a rabbit.

"Better learn to shoot, son. Take an hour off every day and practice.
You hadn't ought to have missed that cottontail. What you want is to
fire accurately, just as soon as yore gun jumps to the shoulder. I can
teach you a wrinkle or two with a six-gun. Then every time you see a
rattler, take a crack at it. Keep in form. _You might need to bend a
gun one of these days_."

His partner understood what that last veiled allusion meant. The weeks
had slipped away since the fracas in front of the Silver Dollar. The
enemy had made no move. But cowpunchers returning to the ranch from
town reported that both Meldrum and Charlton had sworn revenge. It was
an even bet that either one of them would shoot on sight.

Beaudry took Dave's advice. Every day he rode out to a wash and