himself. "When I mentioned the boys," he said, "I meant
my boys that I brought from the Flying U outfit, up in Montana. They
go with me."

Dewitt did not answer that statement immediately. He inspected his finger
nails thoughtfully before he glanced up. "It's a pity, but I'm afraid
that cannot be managed, Mr. Lindsay. The boys in my Western company have
been with me, some of them, since the Independent Sales Company was
organized. They worked for next to nothing till I got things started. Two
or three are under contracts. You will understand me when I say that my
boys must stay where they are." He waited for a minute, and watched
Luck's face grow sober. "I have heard about your Happy Family," he added.
"There has been a good deal of discussion, I imagine, among the studios
about them. Ordinarily I should be glad to have you bring those boys with
you; but as matters stand, it is impossible. Our Western Company is full,
and I could not let these boys go to make room for strangers,--however
good those strangers might be. You understand?"

"Certainly I understand." But Luck's face did not brighten.

"Can't they stay on with the Acme? From what I hear, the Acme's Western
Company is not large at best."

"They can stay, yes. But they won't. The whole bunch gave in their
two weeks' notice this morning." There was a grim satisfaction in
Luck's tone.

"Left when you did, I suppose?"

"That's just exactly what they did. I told them they better stay, and
they nearly lynched me for it."

"Have you made any agreement with them in regard to placing them with
another company--for instance?"

"Certainly not. Some things don't have to be set down in black and
white."

"I--see." Dewitt did see. What he saw worried him, even though it
increased his respect for Luck Lindsay. He studied his nails more
critically than before.

"These boys--have they any resources at all, other than their work in
pictures? Did they burn their bridges when they came with you?"

"Oh, far as that goes, they've all got ranches. They wouldn't starve."
Luck's voice was inclined to gruffness under quizzing.

"As I see the situation," Dewitt went on evenly and with a logic that
made Luck squirm with its very truthfulness, "they left their ranches and
came with you to work in pictures in a spirit of adventure, we might say.
There is a glamour; and your personal influence, your enthusiasm, had its
effect. Should they go back to their ranches now, they wo