f I had the
sand!_" Bud chanted vain-gloriously. "How's that, Skyrider? Ain't that
purty fair po'try?"

"It don't fit into the tune with a cuss," Tex criticized jealously. "Pass
over that po'try of Johnny's. Yo' all ain't needin' it--not if you aims
to make up yore own words."

"C'm _'ere_! You wall-eyed weiner-wurst!" Johnny harshly addressed the
horse he was after. "You've got about as much brains as the rest of this
outfit--and that's putting it strong! If I owned you--"

"_I'd cir-cle high 's if pass-in' by, then vol-lup bank an' la-a-and_,"
the voice of Tex roared out in a huge wave that drowned all other sounds,
the voices of Bill, Aleck, and Bud trailing raucously after.

Johnny, goaded out of his lofty contempt of them, whirled suddenly and
picked up a rock. Johnny could pitch a very fair ball for an amateur, and
the rock went true without any frills or curving deception. It landed in
the middle of Bud Norris's back, and Bud's vocal efforts ended in a howl
of pain.

"Serves you right, you devil!" Mary V commented unsympathetically from
her perch on the ledge.

Three more rocks ended the concert abruptly and started something else.
Curley had laughed hysterically until the four faced belligerently
Johnny's bombardment and started for him. "Beat it, Johnny! Beat it!"
cried Curley then, and made for the fence.

"I will like hell!" snarled Johnny, and gathered more rocks.

"Oh, Johnny! Sudden's comin'!" wailed Curley from the top rail. "Quit it,
Johnny, or you'll git fired!"

"I don't give a damn if I do!" Johnny's full, young voice shouted
ragefully. "It'll save me firing myself. Before I'll work with a bunch of
yellow-bellied, pin-headed fools--" He threw a clod of dirt that caught
Tex on the chin and filled his mouth so that he nearly choked, and a
jagged pebble that hit Aleck just over the ear a glancing blow that sent
him reeling. The third was aimed at Bill, but Bill ducked in time, and
the rock went on over his head and very nearly laid out Mary V's father,
he whom the boys called "Sudden" for some inexplicable reason.

Mary V's father dodged successfully the rock, saw a couple of sheets of
paper lying on the ground, and methodically picked them up before he
advanced to where his men were trying to appear very busy with the
horses, or with their ropes, or with anything save what had held their
attention just previous to his coming.

All save Johnny, who was too mad to care a rap what old Sudden S