ey don't never kick on the stuff yuh eat.
The cook always loads up to suit himself, and nobody don't ask
questions or make a holler--so long as there's plenty and it's good."

Jakie listened attentively, twisting his mustache ends absently. "It
is simply that I purchase the supplies fich I shall choose for my
judgment," he observed, to make quite sure that he understood. "I am
to have _carte blanche_, yes?"

"Sure, if yuh want it," said Happy Jack. "Only they might not keep it
here. Yuh can't get _everything_ in a little place like this." It is
only fair to Happy Jack to state that he would have understood the
term if he had seen it in print. It was the pronunciation which made
the words strange to him.

Jakie looked puzzled, but being the soul of politeness he made no
comment--perhaps because Happy Jack was at that moment bringing his
four horses to a reluctant stand at the wide side-door of the store.

"The horses, they are of the vivacious temperament, yes?" Jakie had
scrambled from the seat to within the door and was standing there
smiling appreciatively at the team.

"Aw, they're all right. You go on in--I guess Weary's there. If he
ain't, you go ahead and get what yuh want. I'll be back after awhile."
Thirst was calling Happy Jack; he heeded the summons and disappeared,
leaving the new cook to his own devices.

So, it would seem, did every other member of the Flying U. Weary had
been told that Miss Satterly was in town, and he forgot all about
Jakie in his haste to find her. No one else seemed to feel any
responsibility in the matter, and the store clerks did not care what
the Flying U outfit had to eat. For that reason the chuck-wagon
contained in an hour many articles which were strange to it, and
lacked a few things which might justly be called necessities.

"Say, you fellows are sure going to live swell," one of the clerks
remarked, when Happy Jack finally returned. "Where did yuh pick his
nibs? Ain't he a little bit new and shiny?"

"Aw, he's all right," Happy Jack defended jealously. "He's a real
_chaff_, and he can build the swellest meals yuh ever eat. Patsy can't
cook within a mile uh him. And _clean_--I betche _he_ don't keep his
bread-dough setting around on the ground for folks to tromp on." Which
proves how completely Jakie had subjugated Happy Jack.

That night--nobody but the horse-wrangler and Happy Jack had shown up
at dinner-time--the boys of the Flying U dined luxuriously at their
new