ry.

"These Barrow folks ain't bad--jist ornery. Hit's due to breedin' en
custom, fer they are part Injun. Old Matt told me so, one time when I
was over here a-lookin' fer lost horses. Matt said his mother was a
Ute--full-blooded en tribe-raised. Now, Injuns don't have much regard
fer personal property. Except fer their arms en blanket all else is
jist common plunder fer anyone. The deer in the thicket, the fish in
the streams, and the birds in the air belong to the feller that gits
'em. 'Course, Matt absorbed the wild cattle, en any other cattle he
found on the loose. He didn't want any cattle brand--jist play the
game his fashion, 'finders are takers,' same as fish er wild ducks.

"Sich a plan didn't set well with the white settlers that was tryin'
to put down cattle thefts. Old Matt got a bad reputation en he didn't
try to correct hit. He matched Injun cunnin' agin the 'white laws' en
got ostracized. He raised his boys by the same standards. This Hulls
is jist dumb en ornery but Archie was smart. He l'arned to read, en
when Maizie came, he l'arned to write en cipher after he was a grown
man. If Archie got the express company's money--en hit sorta looks
like he did--he was smart enough to 'duck out' with hit. Maizie knows
that Archie is smart. She wants--

"Look thar!" he interrupted to point at wagon tracks in the dust. "Hit
looks like a getaway had been vetoed. Changed their minds," he added
as he pointed to a sharp turn in the tracks and a return to the
beaten way farther along to the north. "Now hit's anybody's guess as
to what's happened." Landy was about to dismount for a closer
examination when he again interrupted. "They went back to git a fresh
start," he exclaimed as he pointed to a two-horse wagon approaching
from between the low hills.

"Now jist keep yer shirt on," he cautioned Davy. "Yer a circuser, out
here on a visit. I'm a-showin' ye the neighborhood. Let's keep ridin'
en be surprised like." The two rode the double trail to turn out when
the wagon stopped. "Howdy, folks," was Landy's greeting.

Ugly Collins was driving. Hulls Barrow was in the seat beside him with
a rifle across his knees. Maizie was on a low chair in the rear,
surrounded by bedding, boxes, tables, chairs, and all manner of
household wares that piled high, were held in place by stakes and
stout ropes.

"Why, hit's old Landy Spencer," said Hulls as he returned the gun to
its place on his knees. "What's got ye outen the bed so ea