sweetly, in
his soft treble. "I just came to town this morning. Is it very hard
work?"

"Yeah, it sure is," said Cal plaintively, between bites. "What with
taming wild broncos and trying to keep the cattle from stampeding, our
shining hours are sure improved a lot. It's a hard, hard life." He
sighed deeply and emptied his cup of coffee.

"I--I thought I'd like it," ventured Pink wistfully.

"It's dead safe to prognosticate yuh won't a little bit. None of us
like it. I never saw a man with soul so vile that he did."

"Why don't you give it up, then, and get a position at something else?"
Pink's eyes looked wide and wistful over the rim of his cup.

"Can't. We're most of us escaped desperadoes with a price on our
heads." Cal shook his own lugubriously. "We're safer here than we
would be anywhere else. If a posse showed up, or we got wind of one
coming, there's plenty uh horses and saddles to make a getaway. We'd
just pick out a drifter and split the breeze. We can keep on the dodge
a long time, working on round-up, and earn a little money at the same
time, so when we do have to fly we won't be dead broke."

"Oh!" Pink looked properly impressed. "If it isn't too
personal--er--is there a--that is, are you----"

"An outlaw?" Cal assisted. "I sure am--and then some. I'm wanted for
perjury in South Dakota, manslaughter in Texas, and bigamy in Utah.
I'm all bad."

"Oh, I hope not!" Pink looked distressed. "I'm very sorry," he added
simply, "and I hope the posses won't chase you."

Cal shook his head very, very gravely. "You can't most always tell,"
he declared gloomily. "I expect I'll have an invite to a
necktie-party some day."

"I've been to necktie-parties myself." Pink brightened visibly. "I
don't like them; you always get the wrong girl."

"I don't like 'em, either," agreed Cal. "I'm always afraid the wrong
necktie will be mine. Were you ever lynched?"

Pink moved uneasily. "I--I don't remember that I ever was," he
answered guardedly.

"I was. My gang come along and cut me down just as I was about all in.
I was leading a gang----"

"Excuse me a minute," Pink interrupted hurriedly. "I think the
overseer is motioning for me."

He hastened over to where Chip was standing alone, and asked if he
should change his clothes and get ready to go to work.

Chip told him it wouldn't be a bad idea, and Pink, carrying his haughty
suit-case and another bulky bundle, disappeared precipitate