d to bring results.

After that, the Happy Family debated upon the boldness of going in
a body to Great Falls to file upon their claims, or the caution of
proceeding instead to Glasgow where the next nearest land-office might
be found. Slim and Happy Jack favored caution and Glasgow. The others
sneered at their timidity, as they were wont to do.

"Yuh think Florence Grace Hallman is going to stand guard with a
six-gun?" Andy challenged at last. "She's tied up till her colony gets
there. She can't file on all that land herself, can she?" He smiled
reminiscently. "The lady asked me to come up to the Falls and see her,"
he said softly. "I'm going. The rest of you can take the same train, I
reckon--she won't stop you from it, and I won't. And who's to stop you
from filing? The land's there, open for settlement. At least it was
open, day before yesterday."

"Well, by golly, the sooner we go the better," Slim declared fussily.
"That fencin' kin wait. We gotta go and git back before Chip wants to
start out the wagons, too."

"Listen here, hombres," called the Native Son from the window, where
he had been studying the well-thumbed pamphlet containing the homestead
law. "If we want to play dead safe on this, we all better quit the
outfit before we go. Call for our time. I don't like the way some of
this stuff reads."

"I don't like the way none of it reads," grumbled Happy Jack. "I betche
we can't make it go; they's some ketch to it. We'll never git a patent.
I'll betche anything yuh like."

"Well, pull out of the game, then!" snapped Andy Green, whose nerves
were beginning to feel the strain put upon them.

"I ain't in it yet," said Happy Jack sourly, and banged the door shut
upon his departure.

Andy scowled and returned to studying the map. Finally he reached for
his hat and gloves in the manner of one who has definitely made up his
mind to some thing.

"Well, the rest of you can do as you darned please," he delivered his
ultimatum from the doorway. "I'm going to catch up my horse, draw a
month's wages and hit the trail. I can catch the evening train to
the Falls, easy, and be ready to file on my chunk first thing in the
morning."

"Ain't in any rush, are yuh?" Pink inquired facetiously. "If I had my
dinner settled and this cigarette smoked, I might go along--provided you
don't take the trail with yuh."

"Hold on, boys, and listen to this," the Native Son called out
imperatively. "I think we better get a move o