here was Slim, for instance, unwillingly careening down hill toward
home, because, in his zeal to slap an old ewe smartly with his rope, he
drove her unexpectedly under his horse, and so created a momentary panic
that came near standing both horse and rider upon their heads. And there
was Big Medicine whistling until he was purple, while the herder, with a
single gesture, held the dog motionless, though a dozen sheep broke
back from the band and climbed a slope so steep that Big Medicine was
compelled to go after them afoot, and turn them with stones and profane
objurgations.

It was very funny--when one could sit at ease upon the hilltop and smoke
a cigarette while others risked apoplexy and their souls' salvation
below. By the time they panted up the last rock-strewn slope of the
bluff, and sent the vanguard of the invaders under the fence, Andy's
mood was complacent in the extreme, and his smile offensively wide.

"Oh, you needn't look so sorry for us," drawled the Native Son, jingling
over toward him until only the fence and a few feet of space divided
them. "Here's where you get yours, amigo. I wish you a pleasant day--and
a long one!" He waved his hand in mocking adieu, touched his horse with
his silver spurs, and rode gaily away down the coulee.

"Here, sheepherder's your outfit. Ma-aa-a-a!" jeered Big Medicine.
"You'll wisht, by cripes, you was a dozen men just like yuh before
you're through with the deal. Haw-haw-haw-w!"

There were others who, seeing Andy's grin, had something to say upon the
subject before they left.

Weary rode up, and looked undecidedly from Andy to the sheep, and back
again.

"If you don't feel like tackling it single-handed, I'll send--"

"What do yuh think I am, anyway?" Andy interrupted crisply, "a
Montgomery Ward two-for-a-quarter cowpuncher? Don't you fellows waste
any time worrying over me!"

The herders stared at Andy curiously when he swung in behind the
tail-end of the band and kept pace with their slow moving, but they did
not speak beyond shouting an occasional command to their dogs. Neither
did Andy have anything to say, until he saw that they were swinging
steadily to the west, instead of keeping straight north, as they had
been told to do. Then he rode over to the nearest herder, who happened
to be the bug-killer.

"You don't want to get turned around," he hinted quietly. "That's north,
over there."

"I'm workin' fer the man that pays my wages," the fellow retorte