The Project Gutenberg EBook of Flying U Ranch, by B. M. Bower

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Title: Flying U Ranch

Author: B. M. Bower

Posting Date: August 20, 2008 [EBook #1206]
Release Date: February, 1998

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FLYING U RANCH ***

Produced by Anthony Matonak

FLYING U RANCH

By B. M. Bower

CONTENTS

CHAPTER
I. The Coming of a Native Son
II. "When Greek Meets Greek"
III. Bad News
IV. Some Hopes
V. Sheep
VI. What Happened to Andy
VII. Truth Crushed to Earth, etc.
VIII. The Dot Outfit
IX. More Sheep
X. The Happy Family Herd Sheep
XI. Weary Unburdens
XII. Two of a Kind
XIII. The Happy Family Learn Something
XIV. Happy Jack
XV. Oleson
XVI. The End of the Dots
XVII. Good News

FLYING U RANCH

CHAPTER I. The Coming of a Native Son

The Happy Family, waiting for the Sunday supper call, were grouped
around the open door of the bunk-house, gossiping idly of things purely
local, when the Old Man returned from the Stock Association at Helena;
beside him on the buggy seat sat a stranger. The Old Man pulled up at
the bunk-house, the stranger sprang out over the wheel with the agility
which bespoke youthful muscles, and the Old Man introduced him with a
quirk of the lips:

"This is Mr. Mig-u-ell Rapponi, boys--a peeler straight from the Golden
Gate. Throw out your war-bag and make yourself to home, Mig-u-ell; some
of the boys'll show you where to bed down."

The Old Man drove on to the house with his own luggage, and Happy Jack
followed to take charge of the team; but the remainder of the Happy
Family unobtrusively took the measure of the foreign element. From his
black-and-white horsehair hatband, with tassels that swept to the very
edge of his gray hatbrim, to the crimson silk neckerchief draped over
the pale blue bosom of his shirt; from the beautifully stamped leather
cuffs, down to the exaggerated height of his tan boot-heels, their
critical eyes swept in swift, appraising glances; and unanimous
disapproval was the result. The Happy Family had t