year, and the
river is about played out except in the canon, and the stock can't get
to the water there. This is about the only natural supply outside the
ranch. I want to put a couple of men in here and ditch to that hollow
over there. It'll take about all your water, but we got to have it. I
want you to put in a gas-engine and pump for us. Maybe we'll have to
pipe to tanks before we get through. I'll give you fifty a month to
run the engine."

"I'll sure keep that leetle ole gas-engine coughin' regular," said
Sundown. "I was thinkin' of somethin' like that meself. You see I
seen Loring yesterday. I told him that anybody that was wishful could
water stock here so long as she held out--except there was to be no
shootin' and killin', and the like. Ole man Loring says to tell you
what I told him and see what you said. I reckon he'll take his sheep
out of here if you folks'll take your cattle off the east side. I
ain't playin' no favorites. You been my friend--you and Bud. You come
and make me a proposition to pump water for you--and the fifty a month
is for the water. That's business. Loring ain't said nothin' about
buyin' water from me, so you get it. You see I was kind of figurin'
somethin' like this when I first come to this here place--'way back
when I met you that evenin'. Says I to meself, 'a fella couldn't even
raise robins on this here farm, but from the looks of that water-hole
he could raise water, and folks sure got to have water in this
country.' I was thinkin' of irrigatin' and raisin' alfalfa and
veg'tables, but fifty a month sounds good to me. Bein' a puncher
meself, I ain't got no use for sheep, but I was willin' to give ole man
Loring a chance. If the mesas is goin' dry on the east side, what's he
goin' to do?"

"I don't know, Sun. He's got a card up his sleeve, and you want to
stay right on the job. Bud here got a tip in Antelope that a bunch of
Mexicans came in last week from Loring's old ranch in New Mexico. Some
of 'em are herders and some of 'em are worse. I reckon he'll try to
push his sheep across and take up around here. He'll try it at night.
If he does and you get on to it before we do, just saddle Pill and fan
it for the Concho."

"Gee Gosh! But that means more fightin'!"

Shoop and Corliss said nothing. Sundown gazed at them questioningly.

Presently Corliss gestured toward the south. "They'll make it
interesting for you. Loring's an old-timer and he won't q