find him--provided he found him at all. So
much, at least, was encouraging, and for the rest, Mason was content to
wait.

Mose, recognizing Ford at once, had asked him, with a comical attempt at
secrecy, if he had anything to drink. When Ford shook his head, Mose
stifled a sigh and went back to his dishwashing, not more than half
convinced and inclined toward resentfulness. That a "booze-fighter" like
Ford Campbell should come only a day's ride from town and not be fairly
well supplied with whisky was too remarkable to be altogether plausible.
He eyed the two sourly while they talked, and he did not bring forth one
of the fresh pies he had baked, as he had meant to do.

It was not until Ford was ready to light his after-dinner cigarette
that Mason led the way into the next room, which held the bunks and
general belongings of the men, and closed the door so that they might
talk in confidence without fear of Mose's loose tongue. Ford immediately
pulled off his boots, laid himself down upon one of the bunks, doubled a
pillow under his head, and began to eye Mason quizzically. Then he said:

"Say, you kinda played your hand face down, didn't you, Ches, when you
wrote and asked me to come out here and take charge? Eight years is a
long time to expect a man to stay right where he was when you saw him
last. You've lost a whole lot of horse sense since I knew you."

"Well, what about it? You came, I notice." Mason grinned and would not
help Ford otherwise to an understanding.

"I didn't come to hog-tie that foreman job, you chump. I just merely
want to tell you that you'll get into all kinds of trouble, some day, if
you go laying yourself wide open like that. Why, it's plumb crazy to
offer a job like that to a fellow you haven't seen for as long as you
have me. And if you heard anything about me, it's a cinch it wasn't what
would recommend me to any Sunday-school as a teacher of their Bible
class! How did you know I wouldn't take it? And let you in for--"

"Well, you're here, and I've seen you. The job's still waiting for you.
You can start right in, to-morrow morning." Ches got out his pipe and
began to fill it as calmly and with as much attention to the small
details as if he were not mentally tensed for the struggle he knew was
coming; a struggle which struck much deeper than the position he was
offering Ford.

Ford almost dropped his cigarette in his astonishment. "Well, you damn'
fool!" he ejaculated pityingly.

"