iens,
stared open-mouthed at Pink's approach and rode hastily to camp, fair
bursting with questions and comments.

The herd, twelve hundred range-fattened steers, grazed quietly on a
side hill half a mile or more from camp. Pink ran a quick, appraising
eye over the bunch estimating correctly the number, and noting their
splendid condition.

"Never saw so many cattle in one bunch before, did yuh?" queried Cal,
misinterpreting the glance.

Pink shook his head vaguely. "Does one man own all those cows?" he
wanted to know, with just the proper amount of incredulous wonder.

"Yeah--and then some. This ain't any herd at all; just a few that
we're shipping to get 'em out uh the way uh the real herds."

"About how many do you think there are here?" asked Pink.

Cal turned his back upon his conscience and winked at Weary. "Oh,
there's only nine thousand, seven hundred and twenty-one," he lied
boldly. "Last bunch we gathered was fifty-one thousand six hundred and
twenty-nine and a half. Er--the half," he explained hastily in answer
to Pink's look of unbelief, "was a calf that we let in by mistake. I
caught it, after we counted, and took it back to its mother."

"I should think," Pink ventured hesitatingly, "it would be hard to find
its mother. I don't see how you could tell."

"Well," said Cal gravely, sliding sidewise in the saddle, "it's this
way. A calf is always just like its mother, hair for hair. This calf
had white hind feet, one white ear, and the deuce uh diamonds on its
left side. All I had to do was ride the range till I found the cow
that matched."

"Oh!" Pink looked thoughtful and convinced.

Weary, smiling to himself, rode off to take his station at the other
side of the herd. Even the Happy Family must place duty a pace before
pleasure, and Cal, much as he would liked to have continued the
conversation, resisted temptation and started down along the nearest
edge of the bunch. Pink showed inclination to follow.

"You stay where you're at, sonny," Cal told him, over his shoulder.

"What must I do?" Pink straightened his tie and set his panama more
firmly on his yellow curls, for a brisk wind was blowing.

Cal's voice came back to him faintly: "Just dub around here and don't
do a darn thing; and don't bother the cattle."

"Good advice, that," Pink commented amusedly. "Hits day-herding off to
a T." He prepared for a lazy afternoon, and enjoyed every minute.

On his way back to camp at