would show; though it was not a pretty smile,
on account of his tobacco-stained teeth.

"'S your fun'ral, Bart. I'd say he's from Jackson's Hole, on a rough
guess--but I wouldn't presume to guess what he's here fur. Mebby he come
across from Black Rim. I can find out, if you say so."

Bud was weaving in and out through the herd, scanning the animals
closely. While the two talked he singled out a yearling heifer, let
Stopper nose it out beyond the bunch and drove it close to the boss.

"Better look that one over," He called out. "One way, it looks like AJ,
and another way I couldn't name it. And the ear looks as if about half
of it had been frozen off. Didn't want to run it into the cut until you
passed on it."

Bart looked first at Bud, and he looked hard. Then he rode over and
inspected the yearling, Dirk close at his heels.

"Throw 'er back with the bunch," He ordered.

"That finishes the cut, then," Bud announced, rubbing his hand along
Stopper's sweaty neck. "I kept passing this critter up, and I guess the
other boys did the same. But it's the last one, and I thought I'd run
her out for you to look over."

Bart grunted. "Dirk, you take a look and see if they've got 'em all. And
you, Kid, can help haze the cut up the Flat--the boys'll show you what
to do."

Bud, remembering Smoky and Sunfish and his camp, hesitated. "I've got
a camp down here by the creek," He said. "If it's all the same to you,
I'll report for work in the morning, if you'll tell me where to head
for. And I'll have to arrange somehow to pasture my horses; I've got a
couple more at camp."

Bart studied him for a minute, and Bud thought he was going to change
his mind about the job, or the sixty dollars a month. But Bart merely
told him to ride on up the Flat next morning, and take the first trail
that turned to the left. "The Muleshoe ranch is up there agin that pine
mountain," he explained. "Bring along your outfit. I guess we can take
care of a couple of horses, all right."

That suited Bud very well, and he rode away thinking how lucky he was to
have taken the right fork in the road, that day. He had ridden straight
into a job, and while he was not very enthusiastic over the boss, the
other boys seemed all right, and the wages were a third more than he
had expected to get just at first. It was the first time, he reminded
himself, that he had been really tempted to locate, and he certainly had
struck it lucky.

He did not know that wh