ep while you're teachin' Joan her
books. Stuff her, but don't founder her, John. If any man can fit her
up to prance in high society, I'd bet my last dollar you can. You're a
kind of a gentleman yourself, John."

"Thanks," said John, grinning a dry grin.

"Yes," reminiscently, with great satisfaction, "Malcolm made the
proposition to me, hit me with it so sudden it nearly took my breath.
'Marry him to your Joan when you make a man of him,' he says. I said
maybe he wouldn't want to hitch up with a sheepman's daughter that was
brought up on the range. 'If he don't he can go to work and make his
own way--I'll not leave him a dam' cent!' says Malcolm. We shook hands
on it; he said he'd put it in his will. And that's cinched so it can't
slip."

When Tim mounted to leave he looked round the range again with a
drawing of trouble in his face, as if he searched the peaceful
landscape for the shadow of wings.

"I ain't got another sheep-wagon to give you right now, John; I guess
you'll have to make out with a tent till winter," he said.

"I'd rather have it," Mackenzie replied.

Tim leaned over, hand to one side of his mouth, speaking in low voice,
yet not whispering:

"And remember what I said about that matter, John. Stuff, but don't
founder."

"Stuff," said John, but with an inflection that gave the word a
different meaning, quite.

CHAPTER XIII

A FIGHT ALMOST LOST

Dad Frazer was not overly friendly toward the young man from Omaha who
had come out to learn the sheep business under the threat of penalties
and the promise of high rewards. He growled around about him
continually when he and Mackenzie met, which was not very often, owing
to their being several miles apart. Tim had stationed Dad and his big
band of sheep between Mackenzie and Joan, leaving the schoolmaster to
hold the frontier. No matter for old man Reid's keenness to have his
son suffer some of the dangers which he had faced in his day, Tim
seemed to be holding the youth back out of harm's way, taking no risks
on losing a good thing for the family.

Reid had been on the range about two weeks, but Mackenzie had not seen
a great deal of him, owing to Tim's plan of keeping him out of the
disputed territory, especially at night. That the young man did not
care much for the company or instruction of Dad Frazer was plain.
Twice he had asked Mackenzie to use his influence with Tim to bring
about a change from the old man's camp to his. In Macke