Taterleg had a good many nights to himself, as a consequence of the
security which his grisly exterior had brought. These he spent at
Glendora, mainly on the porch of the hotel in company of Alta Wood,
chewing gum together as if they wove a fabric to bind their lives in
adhesive amity to the end.

Lambert had a feeling of security for his line of fence, also, as he
rode home on the evening of his adventurous day. He had left a note on
the pieced wire reminding Grace Kerr of his request that she ease her
spite by unhooking it there instead of cutting it in a new place. He
also added the information that he would be there on a certain date to
see how well she carried out his wish.

He wondered whether she would read his hope that she would be there at
the same hour, or whether she might be afraid to risk Vesta Philbrook's
fury again. There was an eagerness in him for the hastening of the
intervening time, a joyous lightness which tuned him to such harmony
with the world that he sang as he rode.

Taterleg was going to Glendora that night. He pressed Lambert to join
him.

"A man's got to take a day off sometimes to rest his face and hands," he
argued. "Them fellers can't run off any stock tonight, and if they do
they can't git very far away with 'em before we'd be on their necks.
They know that; they're as safe as if we had 'em where they belong."

"I guess you're right on that, Taterleg. I've got to go to town to buy
me a pair of clothes, anyhow, so I'll go you."

Taterleg was as happy as a cricket, humming a tune as he went along. He
had made liberal application of perfume to his handkerchief and
mustache, and of barber's pomatum to his hair. He had fixed his hat on
carefully, for the protection of the cowlick that came down over his
left eyebrow, and he could not be stirred beyond a trot all the way to
Glendora for fear of damage that might result.

"I had a run-in with that feller the other night," he said.

"What feller do you mean?"

"Jedlick, dern him."

"You did? I didn't notice any of your ears bit off."

"No, we didn't come to licks. He tried to horn in while me and Alta was
out on the porch."

"What did you do?"

"I didn't have a show to do anything but hand him a few words. Alta she
got me by the arm and drug me in the parlor and slammed the door. No use
tryin' to break away from that girl; she could pull a elephant away from
his hay if she took a notion."

"Didn't Jedlick try to hang on?"