a
hole through the wall. I could hear it plunk, plunk, like someone was
using a chisel or crowbar, soft and easy, like he didn't want to be
heard. I waited to see what would happen.

By and by I seen a brick fall out on our side of the wall. I just picked
it up and set there waiting to bust in the head of anybody that come
through after the brick if he couldn't explain what he was about.

The fellow on the other side kept on working. He pulled bricks out on
his side now. By and by I could see light through--it wasn't right dark
in the yard yet. He pulled out the bricks and made quite a little hole
close to the ground.

"Hello there!" says he, soft like. "Is that you, Curly?" says he.

"Who're you and what do you want?" says I.

"I am the hired man, Jimmie," says he. "I've come back."

"The hell you have!" says I. "Well, I can't talk to you. What made you
come back? Where you been?"

"Out West," says he, "on the Circle Arrow Ranch."

"What's that!" says I. "What do you mean?"

"Just what I said. I've been working out there. I found I could rope a
little and I didn't always fall off a horse. You see, the old man owns
a lot in that company."

"Why didn't you tell me you was going out there?" says I. "And how come
these folks to take you back?"

"They couldn't help it," he says. "I told you I had too much on them.
You'd ought to see how things is going out there! They had to take me
back."

"Well, what are you breaking a hole in our fence for?" says I. "Quit it!
Do you want to get buried in a sunk garden, instead of on the lone
prairee? Leave our fence alone."

"Your fence? It's our fence. Don't I know all about it? It was a damn
shame, Curly."

"What business is it of yours?" says I to him.

"Well, I hate to see the family I work for make such fools of
theirselfs." He was setting up close to the wall now, looking through.
He went on talking: "If I put the bricks in again on my side, and you on
yours, who'll know the hole's there?"

"We've got ivy on our side," says I. "It's green and 'most to the top of
the wall. But I don't know now why you broke that hole through."

"Curly," says he, "I want to let Peanut through, so's he can have a good
friendly fight with my dog once in a while. Sometimes I'll pull some of
the bricks out. I reckon Peanut'll do the rest."

"Peanut'll not do no more visiting," says I; "and I've got orders not to
have any sort of truck with anyone on your side of the fence."

He