want to hear about the cattle to-morrow. But step inside
a moment now. There's a matter--" The Virginian stepped inside, and took
off his hat. "Sit down. You had trouble--I've heard something about it,"
the Judge went on.

The Virginian sat down, grave and graceful. But he held the brim of
his hat all the while. He looked at Ogden and me, and then back at his
employer. There was reluctance in his eye. I wondered if his employer
could be going to make him tell his own exploits in the presence of
us outsiders; and there came into my memory the Bengal tiger at a
trained-animal show I had once seen.

"You had some trouble," repeated the Judge.

"Well, there was a time when they maybe wanted to have notions. They're
good boys." And he smiled a very little.

Contentment increased in the Judge's face. "Trampas a good boy too?"

But this time the Bengal tiger did not smile. He sat with his eye
fastened on his employer.

The Judge passed rather quickly on to his next point. "You've brought
them all back, though, I understand, safe and sound, without a scratch?"

The Virginian looked down at his hat, then up again at the Judge,
mildly. "I had to part with my cook."

There was no use; Ogden and myself exploded. Even upon the embarrassed
Virginian a large grin slowly forced itself. "I guess yu' know about
it," he murmured. And he looked at me with a sort of reproach. He knew
it was I who had told tales out of school.

"I only want to say," said Ogden, conciliatingly, "that I know I
couldn't have handled those men."

The Virginian relented. "Yu' never tried, seh."

The Judge had remained serious; but he showed himself plainly more and
more contented. "Quite right," he said. "You had to part with your
cook. When I put a man in charge, I put him in charge. I don't make
particulars my business. They're to be always his. Do you understand?"

"Thank yu'." The Virginian understood that his employer was praising his
management of the expedition. But I don't think he at all discerned--as
I did presently--that his employer had just been putting him to a
further test, had laid before him the temptation of complaining of a
fellow-workman and blowing his own trumpet, and was delighted with his
reticence. He made a movement to rise.

"I haven't finished," said the Judge. "I was coming to the matter.
There's one particular--since I do happen to have been told. I fancy
Trampas has learned something he didn't expect."

This time th