ould have
been notified, certainly; it is the business of the stock agent to see
to that. Let me inquire about it while you are here, Mr. Dunning,"
suggested McCloud, ringing for his clerk.

Dunning lost no time in expressing himself. "I don't want my cattle
held at Point of Rocks!" he said angrily. "Your Point of Rocks yards
are infected. My cattle shouldn't have been sent there."

"Oh, no! The old yards where they had a touch of fever were burned off
the face of the earth a year ago. The new yards are perfectly
sanitary. The loss of the bridge has crippled us, you know. Your
cattle are being well cared for, Mr. Dunning, and if you doubt it you
may go up and give our men any orders you like in the matter at our
expense."

"You're taking altogether too much on yourself when you run my stock
over the country in this way," exclaimed Dunning, refusing to be
placated.

"How am I to get to Point of Rocks--walk there?"

"Not at all," returned McCloud, ringing up his clerk and asking for a
pass, which was brought back in a moment and handed to Dunning. "The
cattle," continued McCloud, "can be run down, unloaded, and driven
around the break to-morrow--with the loss of only two days."

"And in the meantime I lose my market."

"It is too bad, certainly, but I suppose it will be several days
before we can get a line across Smoky Creek."

"Why weren't the cattle sent through that way yesterday? What have
they been held at Point of Rocks for? I call the thing badly
managed."

"We couldn't get the empty cars up from Piedmont for the transfer
until to-day; empties are very scarce everywhere now."

"There always have been empties here when they were wanted until
lately. There's been no head or tail to anything on this division for
six months."

"I'm sorry that you have that impression."

"That impression is very general," declared the stockman, with an
oath, "and if you keep on discharging the only men on this division
that are competent to handle a break like this, it is likely to
continue!"

"Just a moment!" McCloud's finger rose pointedly. "My failure to
please you in caring for your stock in an emergency may be properly a
matter for comment; your opinion as to the way I am running this
division is, of course, your own: but don't attempt to criticise the
retention or discharge of any man on my payroll!"

Dunning strode toward him. "I'm a shipper on this line; when it suits
me to criticise you or your methods, or