lost. He had nothing to do with the management
of the ranch, and if Hooven wanted any advice from him, it was so much
breath wasted. These uncouth brutes of farmhands and petty ranchers,
grimed with the soil they worked upon, were odious to him beyond words.
Never could he feel in sympathy with them, nor with their lives, their
ways, their marriages, deaths, bickerings, and all the monotonous round
of their sordid existence.

"Well, you must be quick about it, Bismarck," he answered sharply. "I'm
late for dinner, as it is."

"Soh, now. Two minuten, und I be mit you." He drew down the overhanging
spout of the tank to the vent in the circumference of the cart and
pulled the chain that let out the water. Then he climbed down from the
seat, jumping from the tire of the wheel, and taking Presley by the arm
led him a few steps down the road.

"Say," he began. "Say, I want to hef some converzations mit you. Yoost
der men I want to see. Say, Caraher, he tole me dis morgen--say, he tole
me Mist'r Derrick gowun to farm der whole demn rench hisseluf der next
yahr. No more tenants. Say, Caraher, he tole me all der tenants get der
sach; Mist'r Derrick gowun to work der whole demn rench hisseluf, hey?
ME, I get der sach alzoh, hey? You hef hear about dose ting? Say, me, I
hef on der ranch been sieben yahr--seven yahr. Do I alzoh----"

"You'll have to see Derrick himself or Harran about that, Bismarck,"
interrupted Presley, trying to draw away. "That's something outside of
me entirely."

But Hooven was not to be put off. No doubt he had been meditating his
speech all the morning, formulating his words, preparing his phrases.

"Say, no, no," he continued. "Me, I wanta stay bei der place; seven yahr
I hef stay. Mist'r Derrick, he doand want dot I should be ge-sacked.
Who, den, will der ditch ge-tend? Say, you tell 'um Bismarck hef gotta
sure stay bei der place. Say, you hef der pull mit der Governor. You
speak der gut word for me."

"Harran is the man that has the pull with his father, Bismarck,"
answered Presley. "You get Harran to speak for you, and you're all
right."

"Sieben yahr I hef stay," protested Hooven, "and who will der ditch
ge-tend, und alle dem cettles drive?"

"Well, Harran's your man," answered Presley, preparing to mount his
bicycle.

"Say, you hef hear about dose ting?"

"I don't hear about anything, Bismarck. I don't know the first thing
about how the ranch is run."

"UND DER PIPE-LINE GE-MEND," Hoove