me is the hard time, and it's the time when a man makes it or loses,
accordin' to what's in him to face hardship and work."

"I've heard about it; I know what I'm asking to go up against, Mr.
Sullivan."

"You want to buy in, or take a band on shares?"

"I'd rather take a band on shares. If I put what little money I've got
into it I'll go it alone."

"That's right; it's safer to let the other man take the risk. It ain't
fair to us sheepmen, but we have to do it to get men. Well, when we
hit on a good man, it pays better than hirin' poor ones at fifty
dollars a month and found. I've had old snoozers workin' for me that
the coyotes eat the boots off of while they was asleep. You look kind
of slim and light to tackle a job on the range."

Mackenzie made no defense of his weight, advancing no further argument
in behalf of his petition for a job. Sullivan measured him over with
his appraising eyes, saying nothing about the bruises he bore,
although Mackenzie knew he was burning with curiosity to go into the
matter of how and when he received them.

Sullivan was a man of calm benignity of face, a placid certainty of
his power and place in the world; a rugged man, broad-handed, slow.
His pleasure was in the distinction of his wealth, and not in any use
that he made of it for his own comfort or the advancement of those
under his hand. Even so, he was of a type superior to the general run
of flockmasters such as Mackenzie had met.

"I'll give you a job helpin' me on this hay for a few days, and kind
of try you out," Tim agreed at last. "I don't want to discourage you
at the start, but I don't believe you got the mettle in you to make a
flockmaster, if you want to call it that, out of."

"All right; I'll help you on the hay. Before I start in though, I'd
like to borrow a saddle-horse from you to take a ride down the creek
to Swan Carlson's place. I wouldn't be long."

"Carlson's place? Do you know Swan Carlson?"

Mackenzie told in few words how much he knew of Carlson, and his
reason for desiring to visit him. Tim's wonder was too large to
contain at hearing this news. He got up, his eyes staring in plain
incredulity, his mouth open a bit between surprise and censure, it
seemed. But he said nothing for a little while; only stood and looked
Mackenzie over again, with more careful scrutiny than before.

"I'll go down with you," he announced, turning abruptly away to get
the horses.

It was evident to Mackenzie that Su