upposed to keep them informed as
to his movements; which he had not done. They did not voice one single
doubt of Lucks loyalty to them, but human nature is more prone to
suspicion than to faith, as every one knows. And Luck had the power and
the incentive to "double-cross" them if he was the kind to do such a
thing. He was manager for their little free-lance picture company which
did not even have a name to call itself by. They had produced one big
feature film, and it was supposed to be a cooperative affair from
start to finish. If Luck failed to make good, they would all be broke
together. If Luck cleared up the few thousands that had been their hope,
why--they would all profit by the success, if Luck--

I maintain that they showed themselves of pretty good metal, in that
not even Happy Tack, confirmed pessimist that he was, ever put the least
suspicion of Luck's honesty into words. They were not the kind to
decry a comrade when his back was turned. And they had worked with Luck
Lindsay and had worked for him. They had slept under the same roof
with him, had shared his worries, his hopes, and his fears. They did not
believe that Luck had appropriated the proceeds of The Phantom Herd
and had deliberately left them there to cool their heels and feel the
emptiness of their pockets in New Mexico, while he disported himself in
Los Angeles; they did--not believe that--they would have resented the
implication that they harbored any doubt of him. But for all that, as
the days passed and he neither came nor sent them any word, they yielded
more and more to the determination of Applehead to start out upon his
own business, and they said less and less about Luck's probable plans
for the future.

And then, just when they were making ready for an early start the next
morning; just when Applehead had the corral full of horses and his
chuckwagon of grub; just when the Happy Family had packed their war-bags
with absolute necessities and were justifying themselves in final
arguments with Andy Green, who refused point-blank to leave the;
ranch--then, at the time a dramatist would have chosen for his entrance
for an effective "curtain," here came Luck, smiling and driving a huge
seven-passenger machine crowded to the last folding seat and with the
chauffeur riding on the running board where Luck had calmly banished him
when he skidded on a sharp turn and came near upsetting them.

Applehead, stowing a coil of new rope in the chuck-wag