the kind
of a man I want him to break in under.' The old feller was tickled
clean to his toes."

"Is he over at the ranch?"

"No, he went back home last night. Come down to start the kid right,
and talk it over with me. It was all a surprise to me, I didn't know a
thing about it, but I couldn't turn Malcolm down." Tim winked, looked
cunning, nodded in a knowing way. "Kid's been cuttin' up throwin' away
too much money; gettin' into scrapes like a boy in town will, you
know. Wild oats and a big crop of 'em. The old man's staked him out
with me for three years, and he ain't to draw one cent of pay, or have
one cent to spend, in that time. If he breaks over, it's all off
between them two. And the kid's sole heir to nearly half a million."

Mackenzie turned to look again at the boy, who was coming back with
the horses.

"Do you think he'll stick?" he asked.

"Yes, he promised the old man he would, and if he's anything like
Malcolm, he'll eat fire before he'll break his word. Malcolm and me we
come to terms in ten words. The kid's to work three years for me
without pay; then I'll marry him to my Joan."

Mackenzie felt his blood come up hot, and sink down again, cold; felt
his heart kick in one resentful surge, then fall away to weakness as
if its cords had been cut. Tim laughed, looking down the draw toward
the sheep.

"It's something like that Jacob and Laban deal you spoke about the
other day," said he. "Curious how things come around that way, ain't
it? There I went ridin' off, rakin' up my brains to remember that
story, and laughed when it come to me all of a sudden. Jacob skinned
them willow sticks, and skinned the old man, too. But I don't guess
Earl would turn a trick like that on me, even if he could."

"How about Joan? Does she agree to the terms?" Mackenzie could not
forbear the question, even though his throat was dry, his lips cold,
his voice husky at the first word.

"She'll jump at it," Tim declared, warmly. "She wants to go away from
here and see the world, and this will be her chance. I don't object to
her leavin', either, as long as it don't cost me anything. You go
ahead and stuff her, John; stuff her as full of learnin' as she'll
hold. It'll be cheaper for me than sendin' her off to school and
fittin' her up to be a rich man's wife, and you can do her just as
much good--more, from what she tells me. You go right ahead and stuff
her, John."

"Huh!" said John.

"Earl, he'll look after your she