his feet, and
he flashed one quick glance at the women and then, boiling with wrath
and suppressed profanity, fled toward the corrals as swiftly as cramped
muscles would allow. The dog snarled at its tormentors and then set
off in hot pursuit of its discomfited master, whose waving arms kept
time with his speeding legs.

"That's all the thanks we get," grumbled Bud, "but then, he don't know
any better anyhow."

Blake laughed and regarded his grinning and expectant outfit, and the
longer he looked at them the more he laughed. They had paid their respects
to the women while Silent explained about the travois and now they cast
many longing glances at the blankets and cloths spread out on the grass
and at the baskets which Bill was busy over. They had tried to coax the
driver to them to give information as to what they might expect in the
way of edibles, but he had haughtily and disdainfully refused to enlighten
them, taking care, however, to arouse their curiosity by looking fondly
at the box and the baskets and even showed his elation by taking several
fancy steps for their benefit.

"Well, get rid of the cayuses," said Blake, "and square things with
Humble. Bring him back with you or you don't get any pie. You're such a
darn fool crowd that I can't get mad this time, but don't ever drag a
man in a travois again."

"Did he come, or was he kidnapped?" murmured Bud. "What we did once we can
do again, and Humble will be on hand when the feast begins."

Jim had been scowling at Bill, whose manners were most aggravating. "You
just wait, you heathen," threatened Jim. "You're ace high with the grub,
all right, but just you wait 'til we get you alone!"

"Yah!" laughed the driver. "I shore can handle the best cow-wrastler that
ever lived."

"Bill seems to be running this here festival," Bud complained to Helen.

"Oh, he is our right-hand man," she replied with enthusiasm. "We couldn't
possibly get along without him, now. He has charge of the pie and cake."

Bill's chest expanded: "I'm foreman of the pie and cake herd," he
exclaimed proudly. "You can't get ahead of me."

Bud looked at the driver and then significantly waved his hand at the
travois: "And you'll shore travel in style, just like a real pie foreman,
too, when we gets a chance to honor you like we wants to."

"You'll get no pie if you acts smart, little boy," retorted the driver.
"Run along and play till lunch is ready, and don't dirty your hands and
face."