ld the
fence."

"What's the matter with rang-herding 'em?" Andy seemed to have thought
it all out, and to have an answer for every objection. "We can take
turns at that--and we must all be careful and don't let 'em graze on our
neighbors!"

Whereat the Happy Family grinned understandingly.

"Maybe the Old Man'll let us have three or four hundred head uh cows on
shares," Cal hazarded optimistically.

"Can't take 'em that way," said the Native Son languidly. "It wouldn't
be safe. Andy's right; the way to do is buy the cattle outright, and
give a mortgage on the bunch. And I think we better split the bunch,
and let every fellow buy a few head. We can graze 'em together--the law
can't stop us from doing that."

"Sounds good--if the Old Man will come to the centre," said Weary
dubiously. The chill atmosphere of Flying U coulee, with strangers in
the bunk-house and with the Old Man scowling at his paper on the porch,
had left its effect upon Weary, sunny-souled as he was.

"Oh, he'll come through," cried Cal, moving toward his horse, "gee whiz,
he's got to! Come on--let's go and get it done with. As it stands now,
we ain't got a thing to do but set around and look wise--unless we go
spoiling good grass with plows. First thing we know our neighbors will
be saying we ain't improving our claims!"

"You improve yours every time you git off it!" stated Happy Jack
spitefully because of past wrongs. "You could improve mine a whole lot
that way, too," he added when he heard the laugh of approval from the
others.

They rung all the changes possible upon that witticism while they
mounted and rode away, every man of them secretly glad of some excuse
for making overtures to the Old Man. Spite of the excitement of getting
on to their claims, and of watching strangers driving here and there in
haste, and hauling loads of lumber toilfully over the untracked grass
and building chickencoop dwellings as nearly alike as the buttons on
a new shirt--spite of all that they had felt keenly their exile from
Flying U ranch. They had stayed away, for two reasons: one was a latent
stubbornness which made them resent the Old Man's resentment; the other
was a matter of policy, as preached by Andy Green and the Native Son. It
would not do, said these two cautious ones, to be running to the Flying
U outfit all the time.

So the Happy Family had steered clear since that afternoon when they had
simulated treachery to the outfit. And fate played t