“How do you know the Old Man'll do that, though?” Weary wanted to know. “He's pretty mad. I rode over to the ranch last week to see Chip, and the Old Man wouldn't have anything to say to me.”
“Well, what's the matter with all of us going? He can't pass up the whole bunch. We can put it up to him just the way it is, and he'll see where it's going to be to his interest to let us have the cattle. Why, darn it, he can't help seeing now why we quit!” Pink looked ready to start then, while his enthusiasm was fresh.
“Neither can Florence Grace help seeing why we did it,” Andy supplemented dryly. “She can think what she darn pleases—all we got to do is deliver the goods right up to the handle, on these claims and not let her prove anything on us.”
“It'll take a lot uh fencing,” Happy Jack croaked pessimistically. “We ain't got the money to buy wire and posts, ner the time to build the fence.”
“What's the matter with rang-herding 'em?” Andy seemed to have thought it all out, and to have an answer for every objection. “We can take turns at that—and we must all be careful and don't let 'em graze on our neighbors!”
Whereat the Happy Family grinned understandingly.
“Maybe the Old Man'll let us have three or four hundred head uh cows on shares,” Cal hazarded optimistically.
“Can't take 'em that way,” said the Native Son languidly. “It wouldn't be safe. Andy's right; the way to do is buy the cattle outright, and give a mortgage on the bunch. And I think we better split the bunch, and let every fellow buy a few head. We can graze 'em together—the law can't stop us from doing that.”
“Sounds good—if the Old Man will come to the centre,” said Weary dubiously. The chill atmosphere of Flying U coulee, with strangers in the bunk-house and with the Old Man scowling at his paper on the porch, had left its effect upon Weary, sunny-souled as he was.
“Oh, he'll come through,” cried Cal, moving toward his horse, “gee whiz, he's got to! Come on—let's go and get it done with. As it stands now, we ain't got a thing to do but set around and look wise—unless we go spoiling good grass with plows. First thing we know our neighbors will be saying we ain't improving our claims!”