sleep," she reported, as they
stepped out onto the porch and settled themselves in comfortable
wicker rockers.

"What was the uprising?" asked Patty. "Was it the Indians? I'd love to
hear about it."

"Yes, the Indians. That was before they were on reservations and they
were scattered all through the hills."

A cowboy galloped to the porch, drew up sharply, and removed his hat.
"We rode through them horses that runs over on the east slope an'
they're all right--leastways all the markers is there, an' the bunches
don't look like they'd be'n any cut out of 'em. But, about them white
faces--Lodgepole's most dried up. Looks like we'd ort to throw 'em
over onto Sage Crick."

The little woman looked thoughtful. "Let's see, there are about six
hundred of the white faces, aren't there?"

"Yessum."

"And how long will the water last in Lodgepole?"

"Not more'n a week or ten days, if we don't git no rain."

"How long will it take to throw them onto Sage Creek?"

"Well, they hadn't ort to be crowded none this time o' year. The four
of us had ort to do it in three or four days."

The old lady shook her head. "No, the cattle will have to wait. I
want you boys to stay right around close 'til you hear from Vil
Holland. Keep your best saddle horses up and at least one of you stay
right here at the ranch all the time. The rest of you might ride
fences, and you better take a look at those mares and colts in the big
pasture."

The cowboy's eyes twinkled: "I savvy, all right. Guess I'll take the
bunk-house shift myself this afternoon. Got a couple extry guns to
clean up an' oil a little."

"Whatever you do, you boys be careful," admonished the woman. "And in
case anything happens and Vil Holland isn't here, send one of the boys
after him at once."

The other laughed: "Guess they ain't much danger, if anything happens
he won't be a-ridin' right on the head of it." The cowboy gathered up
his reins, dropped them again, and his gloved fingers fumbled with his
leather hat band. The smile had left his face.

"Anything else, Bill?" asked Mrs. Samuelson, noting his evident
reluctance to depart.

"Well, ma'am, how's the Big Boss gittin' on?"

"He's doing as well as could be expected, the doctor says."

The cowboy cleared his throat nervously: "You know, us boys thinks a
heap of him, an' we'd like fer him to git a square deal."

"A square deal!" exclaimed the woman. "Why, what in the world do you
mean?"

"About that there d