ld Man and the Little Doctor down to Slim. If any of
us boys got into trouble, the Old Man would spend his last cent to clear
us; and Dunk knows that just as well as he knows the way from the house
to the stable. He'd see to it that it would just about take the Old
Man's last cent, too. And he's using these Dot sheep like you'd use a
red flag on a bull, to make us so crazy mad we'll kill off somebody.

"That's why," he said to them all when he saw that they had ridden up
close that they might hear what he was saying, "I've been hollering so
loud for the meek-and-mild stunt. When I slapped him on the jaw, and he
stood there and took it, I saw his game. He had a witness to swear I hit
him and he didn't hit back. And when I saw them Dots in our field again,
I knew, just as well as if Dunk had told me, that he was kinda hoping
we'd kill a herder or two so he could cinch us good and plenty. I don't
say," he qualified with a rueful grin, "that Dunk went into the sheep
business just to get r-re-venge, as they say in shows. But if he can
make money running sheep--and he can, all right, because there's more
money in them right now than there is in cattle--and at the same time
get a good whack at the Flying U, he's the lad that will sure make a
running jump at the chance." He spat upon the burnt end of his cigarette
stub from force of the habit that fear of range fires had built, and
cast it petulantly from him; as if he would like to have been able to
throw Dunk and his sheep problem as easily out of his path.

"So I wish you boys would hang onto yourselves when you hear a sheep
blatting under your window," he summed up his unburdening whimsically.
"As Bud said this morning, you can't hang a man for telling a
sheepherder you'll take off his shoes. And they can't send us over the
road for moving that band of sheep onto new range to-day. Last night
you all were kinda disorderly, maybe, but you didn't hurt anybody, or
destroy any property. You see what I mean. Our only show is to stop with
our toes on the right side of the dead line."

"If Andy, here, would jest git his think-wheels greased and going good,"
Big Medicine suggested loudly, "he ought to frame up something that
would put them Dots on the run permanent. I d'no, by cripes, why it is
a feller can always think uh lies and joshes by the dozens, and put 'em
over O. K. when there ain't nothing to be made out of it except hard
feelin's; and then when a deal like this here she