lf and the others the bars of deference; he made
them see plainly that there would be no overstepping his position. It was
his job to be here, and he had no illusions.

CHAPTER VII

HOW AN INSULT WAS AVENGED

As the days passed, it became plain to Ruth, as it did to everyone else
on the ranch--Chavis, Pickett, and Masten included--that Vickers had not
talked extravagantly in recommending Randerson. Uncle Jepson declared
that "he took right a-hold," and Aunt Martha beamed proudly upon him
whenever he came within range of her vision.

There was no hitch; he did his work smoothly. The spring round-up was
carried to a swift conclusion, the calves were branded and turned loose
again to roam the range during the summer; the corral fences were
repaired, new irrigation ditches were laid, others extended--the numerous
details received the attention they merited, and when summer came in
earnest, the Flying W was spick and span and prospering.

Chavis and Pickett still retained their old positions, but Ruth noticed
that they did not spend so much of their time around the bunkhouse as
formerly, they seemed to have work enough to keep their time fully
employed. Nor did Masten accompany them very often. He seemed to take a
new interest in Ruth; he found various pretexts to be near her, and Ruth
secretly congratulated herself on her wisdom in securing her new range
boss. She had scarcely expected such amazing results.

She was conscious of a vague disappointment, though. For she would have
liked to see more of her range boss. Twice, under pretense of wanting to
look over the property, she had accompanied him to outlying cow camps,
and she had noted that the men seemed to like him--they called him "Rex,"
and in other ways exhibited their satisfaction over his coming. Several
times she had observed meetings between him and Chavis and Pickett;
invariably Chavis was sullen and disagreeable in his presence, and a
number of times she had seen Pickett sneer when Randerson's back was
turned. No one had told her of the open enmity that existed between
Pickett and Randerson; the latter had not hinted of it.

And Randerson was at the ranchhouse even less frequently than his
predecessor; he spent much of his time with the outfit. But he came in
one afternoon, after Ruth's friendship with Hagar Catherson had
progressed far, and met the nester's daughter on the porch as he was
ab