ly, riding close-grouped, stiffened in their saddles and
stared amazed at the outrage.

"Sheepherders never did have any nerve," Irish observed after a minute.
"They keep their places fine! They'll drive their sheep right into your
dooryard and tell 'en to help themselves to anything that happens to
look good to them. Oh, they're sure modest and retiring!"

Weary, who had charge of the outfit during Chip's absence, was making
straight for the nearest herder. Pink and Andy went with him, as a
matter of course.

"You fellows ride up around that side, and put the run on them sheep,"
Weary shouted back to the others. "We'll start the other side moving.
Make 'em travel--back where they came from." He jerked his head toward
the north. He knew, just as they all knew, that there had been no sheep
to the south, unless one counted those that ranged across the Missouri
river.

As the three forced their horses up the steep slope, the herder, sitting
slouched upon a rock, glanced up at them dully. He had a long stick,
with which he was apathetically turning over the smaller stones within
his reach, and as apathetically killing the black bugs that scuttled out
from the moist earth beneath. He desisted from this unexciting pastime
as they drew near, and eyed them with the sullenness that comes of
long isolation when the person's nature forbids that other extreme of
babbling garrulity, for no man can live long months alone and remain
perfectly normal. Nature, that stern mistress, always exacts a penalty
from us foolish mortals who would ignore the instincts she has wisely
implanted within us for our good.

"Maybe," Weary began mildly and without preface, "you don't know this is
private property. Get busy with your dogs, and haze these sheep back on
the bench." He waved his hand to the north. "And, when you get a good
start in that direction," he added, "yuh better keep right on going."

The herder surveyed him morosely, but he said nothing; neither did he
rise from the rock to obey the command. The dogs sat upon their haunches
and perked their ears inquiringly, as if they understood better than did
their master that these men were not to be quite overlooked.

"I meant to-day," Weary hinted, with the manner of one who deliberately
holds his voice quiet.

"I never asked yuh what yuh meant," the herder mumbled, scowling. "We
got to keep 'em on water another hour, yet." He went back to turning
over the small rocks and to pursuing