r in de grip--so--I carry dem all togedder. My mediceen, she in
de beeg ches'."

Weary had sat down and his head was dropped dejectedly into his hands.
He had bungled the whole thing, after all. "Well," he said
apathetically. "The chest was locked; I never opened it."

Old Dock nodded his head gravely. "She lock," he assented, gently.
"She mooch mediceen--she wort' mooch mooney. De key, she in mine
pocket--" "Oh, I don't give a damn where the key is--now," flared
Weary. "I guess Patsy'll have to cash in; that's all."

"Aw, gwan!" cried Happy Jack. "A sheepman come along just after you
left, and he had a quart uh whisky. We begged it off him and give
Patsy a good bit jolt. That eased him up some, and we give him
another--and he got to hollerin' so loud for more uh the same, so we
just set the bottle in easy reach and let him alone. He's in there
now, drunk as a biled owl--the lazy old devil. I had to get supper and
breakfast too--and looks like I'd have to cook dinner. Poison--hell!
I betche he never had nothing but a plain old belly-ache!"

Weary got up and went to the mess-tent, lifted the flap and looked in
upon Patsy lying on the flat of his back, snoring comfortably. He
regarded him silently a moment, then looked over his shoulder to where
Old Dock huddled over the three dozen can-openers.

"Oh, mamma!" he whispered, and poured himself a cup of coffee.

THE LAMB

When came the famine in stock-cars on the Montana Central, and the
Flying U herd had grazed for two days within five miles of Dry Lake,
waiting for the promised train of empties, Chip Bennett, lately
promoted foreman, felt that he had trouble a-plenty. When,
short-handed as he was, two of his cowboys went a-spreeing and
a-leisuring in town, with their faces turned from honest toil and their
hands manipulating pairs and flushes and face-cards, rather than good
"grass" ropes, he was positive that his cup was dripping trouble all
round the rim.

The delinquents were not "top hands," it is true. They--the Happy
Family, of which Jim Whitmore was inordinately proud--would sooner
forswear their country than the Flying U. But even two transients of
very ordinary ability are missed when they suddenly vanish in shipping
time, and Chip, feeling keenly his responsibilities, rode disgustedly
into town to reclaim the recreants or pay them off and hire others in
their places.

With his temper somewhat roughened by the agent's report that n