, I wish you'd untie this rope. I can't." He spoke still in that
peculiar, husky tone, and, when the last words were out, his teeth went
together with a snap.

Weary glanced inquiringly across at the Native Son, who was regarding
Andy steadily, as one gazes upon a tangled rope, looking for the end
which will easiest lead to an untangling.

Miguel's brown eyes turned languidly to meet the look. "You'd better
untie him," he advised in his soft drawl. "He may not be in the habit of
doing it--but he's telling the truth."

"Untie me, Miguel," begged Andy, going over to him, "and let me at this
bunch."

"I'll do it," said Weary, and rose pacifically. "I kinda believe you
myself, Andy. But you can't blame the boys none; you've fooled 'em till
they're dead shy of anything they can't see through. And, besides, it
sure does look like a plant. I'd back you single-handed against a dozen
sheepherders like then two we've been chasing around. If I hadn't felt
that way I wouldn't have sent yuh out alone with 'em."

"Well, Andy needn't think he's goin' to stick me on that there story,"
Slim declared with brutal emphasis. "I've swallered too many baits,
by golly. He's figurin' on gettin' us all out on the war-path, runnin'
around in circles, so's't he can give us the laugh. I'll bet, by golly,
he paid then herders to tie him up like that. He can't fool me!"

"Say, Slim, I do believe your brains is commencin' to sprout!" Big
Medicine thumped him painfully upon the back by way of accenting the
compliment. "You got the idee, all right."

Andy stood quiet while Weary unwound the rope; lifted his numbed arms
with some difficulty, and displayed to the doubters his rope-creased
wrists, and purple, swollen hands.

"I couldn't fight a caterpiller right now," he said thickly. "Look at
them hands! Do yuh call that a josh? I've been tied up like a bed-roll
for five hours, you--" Well, never mind, he merely repeated a part of
what he had recited aloud in Antelope coulee, the only difference being
that he applied the vitriolic utterances to the Happy Family instead of
to sheepherders, and that with the second recitation he gained much in
fluency and dramatic delivery.

It is not nice for a man to swear; to swear the way Andy did, at any
rate. But the result perhaps atoned in a measure for the wickedness, in
that the Happy Family were absolutely convinced of his sincerity, and
the feelings of Andy greatly relieved, so that, when he had for th