pithet at his command.

"----may show obstinacy," pursued S. Behrman, bent upon finishing the
phrase, "but it don't show common sense."

"I'll mend my fence, and then, again, maybe I won't mend my fence,"
shouted Annixter. "I know what you mean--that wild engine last night.
Well, you've no right to run at that speed in the town limits."

"How the town limits? The sheep were this side the Long Trestle."

"Well, that's in the town limits of Guadalajara." "Why, Mr. Annixter,
the Long Trestle is a good two miles out of Guadalajara."

Annixter squared himself, leaping to the chance of an argument.

"Two miles! It's not a mile and a quarter. No, it's not a mile. I'll
leave it to Magnus here."

"Oh, I know nothing about it," declared Magnus, refusing to be involved.

"Yes, you do. Yes, you do, too. Any fool knows how far it is from
Guadalajara to the Long Trestle. It's about five-eighths of a mile."

"From the depot of the town," remarked S. Behrman placidly, "to the head
of the Long Trestle is about two miles."

"That's a lie and you know it's a lie," shouted the other, furious at
S. Behrman's calmness, "and I can prove it's a lie. I've walked that
distance on the Upper Road, and I know just how fast I walk, and if I
can walk four miles in one hour."

Magnus and Harran drove on, leaving Annixter trying to draw S. Behrman
into a wrangle.

When at length S. Behrman as well took himself away, Annixter returned
to his hammock, finished the rest of his prunes and read another chapter
of "Copperfield." Then he put the book, open, over his face and went to
sleep.

An hour later, toward noon, his own terrific snoring woke him up
suddenly, and he sat up, rubbing his face and blinking at the sunlight.
There was a bad taste in his mouth from sleeping with it wide open, and
going into the dining-room of the house, he mixed himself a drink of
whiskey and soda and swallowed it in three great gulps. He told himself
that he felt not only better but hungry, and pressed an electric button
in the wall near the sideboard three times to let the kitchen--situated
in a separate building near the ranch house--know that he was ready for
his dinner. As he did so, an idea occurred to him. He wondered if Hilma
Tree would bring up his dinner and wait on the table while he ate it.

In connection with his ranch, Annixter ran a dairy farm on a very small
scale, making just enough butter and cheese for the consumption of the
ranch's PERSONNEL