it."

"Well," says I, "we got plenty of this water, and we branded more than
our average per cent of calves this spring." For such was so that
year--everything was going fine. We stood to sell eighty thousand
dollars' worth of beef cows that fall.

He didn't say a word, and I ast him if there was any nesters coming in;
and he shook his head.

"I seen about that when I taken out my patents years ago. No; the range
is safe. That's what's the matter with it; the title is good--too good."

"Well, Colonel," says I, some disgusted and getting up to walk away, "if
ever you want to talk to me any send somebody to where I'm at. I'm
busy."

"Set down, Curly," says he, not looking at me.

So I done so.

"Son," says he to me--he often called me that along of me being his
segundo for so many years--"don't go away! I need you. I need
something."

Now I ain't nothing but a freckled cowpuncher, with red hair, and some
says both my eyes don't track the same, and I maybe toe in. Besides, I
ain't got much education. But, you see, I've been with Old Man Wright so
long we've kind of got to know each other--not that I'm any good for
divine Providence neither.

"Curly," says he after a while when he got his nerve up, "Curly, it
looks like I got to sell out--I got to sell the Circle Arrow!"

Huh! That was worse than anything that ever hit me all my life, and
we've seen some trouble too. I couldn't say a word to that.

After about a hour he begun again.

"I reckon I got to sell her," says he. "I got to quit the game. Curly,
you and me has got to make a change--I'm afraid I've got to sell her
out--lock, stock and barrel."

"And not be a cowman no more?" says I.

He nods. I look round to see him close. He was plumb sober, and his face
was solemn, like it was the time I caught him looking in the trunk.

"That irrigation syndicate is after me again," says he.

"Well, what of it?" says I. "Let 'em go some place else. It ain't
needful for us to make no more money--we're plumb rich enough for
anybody on earth. Besides, when a man is a cowman he's got as far as he
can go--there ain't nothing in the world better than that. You know it
and so do I."

He nods, for what I said was true, and he knowed it.

"Colonel," I ast him, "have you been playing poker?"

"Some," says he. "Down to the Cheyenne Club."

"How much did you lose?"

"I didn't lose nothing--I won several thousand dollars and eight hundred
head of steers last week,"