Rosemary Green was hopelessly camera-shy, but he could
use her in background atmosphere, and when it came to looking after the
physical and mental welfare of the bunch she was worth her weight in any
precious metal you may choose to name.

"You better put me down as camp cook and dishwasher, Luck Lindsay,"
Rosemary protested, blushing.

"No--thank the Lord you won't have to cook for this hungry bunch any
longer. I've got a Mexican hired and headed this way. There'll be no
more of that kind of thing for you, lady--not while you're with us.

"Now, boys, let's get organized for action. Weather's perfect--Lowry's
been raving over the light, all the way out from town. I've got a range
picture all blocked out--did it while I was waiting in Los for Jean to
show up. Done anything about roundup yet, Applehead?"--

Poor old Applehead, with his guilty conscience and his soft-hearted
affection for Luck so deeply stirred by the money laid in his
big-knuckled hand, shuffled his feet and cleared his throat and did not
get one intelligible word past his dry tongue.

"If you haven't," Luck hurried on, spurred by his inpatient energy,
"I want to organize and get out right away with a regular roundup
outfitchuck-wagon, remuda and all--see what I mean I While I'm getting
the picture of the stuff I want, we can gather and brand your calves.
That way, all my range scenes will be of the real thing. I may want to
throw the Chavez outfit in with ours, too, so as to get bigger stuff.
I'll try and locate Ramon Chavez and see what I can do. But anyway,
I want the roundup outfit ready to start just as soon as
possible--tomorrow, if we could get it together in time. How about that
cracked tongue on the chuck-wagon? Anybody fixed that?"

"We-ell, I wired it up so'st it's as solid as the rest uh the runnin'
gear," Applehead confessed shamefacedly, rolling his eyes apprehensively
at the flushed faces of his fellow traitors.

"Yuh did? Good! Tires need setting, if I recollect--"

"Er--I had the boys set the tires, 'n'--"

"Fine! I might have known you fellows would put things in shape while
I was gone! How about the horses? I thought I saw a bunch in the big
corral--"

"I rustled enough saddle horses to give us all two apiece," Applehead
admitted, perspiring coldly. "'Tain't much of a string, but--"

"You did? Sounds like you've been reading my mind, Applehead. Now we'll
grubstake the outfit--"

"Er--well, I took the chuck-wagon in yest'da