t soil especially since it was mostly barren.
The Happy Family knew it, and could find it in their hearts to pity the
men who were putting in dollars and time and hard work there. But for
obvious reasons they did not put their pity into speech.

They fenced their west line in record time. There was only one gate
in the whole length of it, and that was on the trail to Dry Lake. Not
content with trusting to the warning of four strands of barbed wire
stretched so tight that they hummed to the touch, they took turns in
watching it--"riding fence," in range parlance--and in watching the
settlers' cattle.

To H. J. Owens and his fellow contestants they paid not the slightest
attention, because the Honorable Blake had urged them personally to
ignore any and all claimants. To Florence Grace Hallman they gave no
heed, believing that she had done her worst, and that her worst was
after all pretty weak, since the contests she had caused to be filed
could not possibly be approved by the government so long as the Happy
Family continued to abide by every law and by-law and condition and
requirement in their present through-going and exemplary manner.

You should have seen how mild-mannered and how industrious the Happy
Family were, during these three weeks which followed the excitement of
the Kid's adventuring into the wild. You would have been astonished,
and you would have made the mistake of thinking that they had changed
permanently and might be expected now to settle down with wives and
raise families and hay and cattle and potatoes, and grow beards,
perhaps, and become well-to-do ranchers.

The Happy Family were almost convinced that they were actually leaving
excitement behind them for good and all. They might hold back
the encroaching tide of immigration from the rough land along the
river--that sounded like something exciting, to be sure. But they must
hold back the tide with legal proceedings and by pastoral pursuits, and
that promised little in the way of brisk, decisive action and strong
nerves and all these qualities which set the Happy Family somewhat apart
from their fellows.

CHAPTER 23. THE WATER QUESTION AND SOME GOSSIP

Miss Rosemary Allen rode down into One Man Coulee and boldly up to the
cabin of Andy Green, and shouted musically for him to come forth. Andy
made a hasty pass at his hair with a brush, jerked his tie straight
and came out eagerly. There was no hesitation in his manner. He went
straight u