brag, he's on the square an' he ain't afraid
of work."

"A good deal of a he-man," assented Sandy. "Stands up on his hind laigs.
He didn't come out of the same mold as Keith. Sam, you ain't a potenshul
millionaire any longer, just plain ranchman. You can go to sleep 'thout
worryin' how yo're goin' to spend yore dividends."

"That so't of worry won't tuhn my ha'r gray," retorted Sam, "though I
wish you'd talk plain United States an' forgit the dikshunary. What I'm
worryin' about is Molly."

"So'm I, Sam," said Sandy. "Good night."

That Westlake won approval from Molly, and also from Kate Nicholson, was
patent before breakfast was over the next morning. A buyer came out from
Hereford demanding Sandy's attention and he stayed at the ranch while
the three and Sam went off saddleback. Westlake had expressed a desire
to see the ranch and Molly had volunteered to display her own renewed
knowledge of it. The buyer looked at the Three Star stock with expert
eyes and made bids that were highly satisfactory.

"Better beef, better prices, that's the modern slogan," he said at the
noon meal with Sandy and Mormon. "I see you believe in it. You can
establish a brand for the Three Star steers, Mr. Bourke, just as readily
as any producer of staple goods, and you can command your own market.

"I heard some talk in Hereford this morning of trouble at one ranch not
far from here," he went on. "A horse ranch run by a man named Plimsoll.
Waterline Ranch, I think they call it. I have a commission from a man in
Chicago to look up some horses for him and I had heard of Plimsoll
before, not over-favorably. I understand he is a horse-dealer rather
than a breeder. And that he is not fussy over brands."

"He's got a big herd," said Sandy non-committally. "Claims to round up
slick-ears."

"Slick-ears?"

"Same as broom-tails--wild hawsses. What was the trouble?"

"General row among the crowd, far as I could make out. Plimsoll shot at
one of his men named Wyatt, I believe, and started to run him off the
ranch. There were sides taken and shots fired."

"News to me," said Sandy. He was not especially interested in Waterline
happenings so long as Plimsoll remained set. The buyer left and the rest
of the day went slowly.

When the quartet returned, Molly and Westlake were obviously more than
mere acquaintances. Sandy felt out of the running though Molly held him
in the conversation. Kate Nicholson unconsciously intensified his mood.

"Th