other.

The hottest battle must perforce end sometime, and so the camp of the
Flying U did at last settle into some semblance of calm. Irish rolled
his bed, saddled a horse and rode off toward town, quite as if he were
going for good and all. Big Medicine went down to the creek for the
second time that evening to wash away the marks of strife, and when he
returned he went straight to bed without a word to anyone. Patsy was
gone, no man knew whither, and the cook-tent was as nearly wrecked as
might be.

"Makes me think uh that time we had the ringtailed tiger in camp,"
sighed Andy Green, shaking sand out of the teakettle so that it could
be refilled.

"By golly, I'd ruther have a whole band uh tagers than this fighting
bunch," Slim affirmed earnestly. Slim was laboring sootily with the
stove-pipe which Patsy had struck askew with a stick of wood.

Outside, Happy Jack was protesting in what he believed to be an
undertone against being installed in Patsy's place. "Aw, that's always
the way! Anything comes up, it's 'Happy, you git in and rustle some
chuck.' _I_ ain't no cook--or if I be they might pay me cook's wages.
I betche there ain't another man in camp would stand for it.
Somebody's got to take that bacon down to the creek and wash it off,
if yuh want any meat for supper. There ain't no time to boil beef. If
I'd a been boss uh this outfit, I betche no blame cook on earth would
uh made rough-house like Patsy done." But no one paid the slightest
attention to Happy Jack, having plenty to think of and to do before
they slept.

Not even the sun, when it shone again, could warm their hearts to a
joy in living. Happy Jack cooked the breakfast, but his coffee was
weak and his biscuits "soggy," and Patsy had managed to make the
butter absolutely uneatable with sand; also they were late and Chip
was surly over the double loss of cook and cowboy. Happy Jack packed
food and dishes in much the same spirit which Patsy had shown the
night before, climbed sullenly to the high seat, gathered up the reins
of the four restive horses, released the brake and let out a yell
surcharged with all the bitterness bottled within his soul. _He_ had
not done anything to precipitate the trouble. Beyond eating half a pie
he had been an innocent spectator, not even taking part in the
rough-riding. Yet here he was, condemned to the mess-wagon quite as if
he were to blame for Patsy's leaving. The eyes of Happy Jack gazed
gloomily upon the world