rapid figuring. "With beef so low, I fear I shall be obliged to ask
you to hold this herd for two or three weeks. The price is sure to
rise later. It is merely a juggling operation among the speculators
and is not justified by the condition of the stock, or of the market.
In a couple of weeks the price should be normal again."

"And in a couple uh weeks this bunch would bring the lowest figure
they name," Billy asserted firmly. "Beef shrinks on the hoof like
thunder when it's held up and close-herded on poor range. What
yuh better do, Dilly, is let me work this herd and ship just the
top-notchers--they're _all_ prime beef," he added regretfully,
glancing through the fence at the milling herd. "I can cut out ten of
twelve cars that'll bring top price, and throw the rest back on the
range till we gather again. Yuh won't lose as much that way as yuh
would by holding up the whole works."

"Well," Dill hesitated, "perhaps you are right. I don't pretend to
know anything about this side of the business. To put the case to you
plainly, we must clear forty thousand dollars on our beef this fall,
for the mortgage alone--putting it in round numbers. We should also
have ten thousand dollars for expenses, in order to run clear without
adding to our liabilities. I rely upon you to help manage it. If you
would postpone any more gathering of beef until--"

"It's just about a case uh now or never," Billy cut in. "There's only
about so long to gather beef before they begin to fall off in weight.
Then we've got to round up the calves and wean 'em, before cold
weather sets in. We can't work much after snow falls. We can pull
through the first storm, all right, but when winter sets in we're
done. We've got to wean and feed all the calves you've got hay for,
and I can save some loss by going careful and taking 'em away from the
poorest cows and leaving the fat ones to winter their calves. How much
hay yuh got put up?"

"A little over five hundred tons on our place," said Dill. "And I sent
a small crew over to the Bridger place; they have nearly a hundred
tons there. You said for me to gather every spear I could," he
reminded humorously, "and I obeyed to the best of my ability."

"Good shot, Dilly. I'll round up eight or nine hundred calves, then;
that'll help some. Well, shall I cut the top off this bunch uh beef,
or throw the whole business back on the range? You're the doctor."

Dill rode close to the high fence, stood in his stirr