At the corral he turned again to Johnny. "Stop at the house when you're
ready. There's a pile of _Modern Mechanics_ you may as well take along.
You won't have any too much time for reading, though--not if you work the
way you rhyme."

"Well, I hope I work better," said Johnny, his spirits risen to where
speech bubbled. "I get paid for my work--and I guess I'd starve writing
poetry for a living."

"Yes, I guess you would. Good thing you know it." Sudden swung his
machine around and drove into the garage, and Johnny, untying his rope
from his saddle, went into the corral to catch two fairly gentle horses.

When he was ready he rode over to the bungalow, leading the gentlest
horse packed with bedding roll, "war bag," and a few odds and ends that
Johnny wanted to take along. Sudden was waiting on the porch with a
rifle, cartridge belt and two extra boxes of ammunition, and a sack half
full of magazines. He stood with his hands in his pockets while Johnny
tied rifle and sack on the saddle.

"Now I want you to understand, Johnny, that you're going down there on
special work," he said, coming down the steps and standing close to the
horse. "There's a telephone, and that's your protection if anything looks
off-color. Keep the stock pushed back pretty well away from the line
fences. There's some good feed in those draws over east of Sinkhole
creek. Let 'em graze in there--but keep an eye out for rustlers. Get
to know the bunches of horses and watch their moves. You'll soon know
whether they are being bothered. Pete leaves camp this afternoon. You'll
probably meet him.

"And this gun--well, you keep it right with you. I don't want you to go
around hunting trouble, but I want you to be ready for it if it comes. A
horse looks awfully good to a greaser, remember. But no greaser likes the
looks of a white man with a gun. Now let's see how much brains you've got
for the job, young man. If you see to it that no Rolling R stuff comes up
missing, and do it without any trouble, I'll call that making good."

"All right, I'll try and make good, then." Johnny's shoulders went back.
"When a man's got some object in life besides just earning a living,
he--"

From within the house full-toned chords were struck from a piano. Johnny
scowled, gave his packed horse a yank, and rode off. Couldn't that girl
ever let up on a fellow? Playing that darn fool tune over and over! It
sure showed how much brains she had in her head! He hoped she'd get