ight here on earth. To put it briefly,
far as this sheep business is concerned, if you can't get the sheep
across the saddle between the Holy Cross and the Rim Rocks, you want to
bring 'em along the trail through my ranch?"

"That's it," assented Wayland. "I've issued grazing permits for the
Upper Range: and it only remains to get your permission to drive them
across the land that is not Forest Range."

The Senator crossed his legs and hung his hat on one knee.

"As I make it out, here's our situation! I ask MacDonald here, who is
the richest sheepman west of the Mississippi, what's he willing to do
for the party. Far as I can see without a telescope or microscope, he
doesn't raise a finger--won't even take out papers so he can vote! I
ask Parson Williams here what he is willing to do for the party; and he
objects to his copper-gentry taking a free-for-all forty cents on the
dollar. Then, you both come asking me to pass fifteen-thousand sheep
across my ranch to the Rim Rocks, though they ruin the pasture and
there isn't room enough for all the cattle, let alone sheep. I hate
'em! I'm free to say I hate 'em! Every cattleman hates the sheep
business. We haven't Range enough for our cattle, let alone sheep and
this fool business of fencing off free pasturage in Forest Reserves.
And your sheep herders never make settlers. You know how it is. We'd
run your sheep to Hades if we could! We aren't all in the missionary
business like Williams. We are in for what we can get; and this nation
is the biggest nation on earth because all men are free to go in for
all they can get. The sheep destroy the Range: and I'm cattle! You
neither of you raise a hand to help the party; and I'm a plain party
man; yes, I guess, Miss Eleanor--I'm a spoilsman, all right; and you
come asking favors of me. It isn't reasonable; but I'll tell you what
I'll do. I'll show you that I'm ready to meet you in a fair half-way!
MacDonald, you and Williams and the Kid, there, go along and see if
that saddle can be crossed, here to the Rim Rocks. If it can't, you
can come down through the Valley and pass your sheep up through my
ranch. I guess it's light enough yet for you to see. The gully is not
five minutes away. Bat, you go off and entertain Miss Eleanor. I want
to talk to Wayland here."

Wayland was in no mood for straddling, for palaver, for "carrying water
on both shoulders." He was weary to death of talk and compromise and
tem