“Get ’em and bring ’em to me as soon as they come.”
While the foreman went off about this business Bissell learned from Chuck, the cowboy, just where he had seen the sheep last, how fast they were traveling, and how far he calculated they would go before bedding down for the night.
“I reckon the outfit ought to camp somewhere about Little Creek,” said Chuck. “That’s runnin’ water.”
“And how far beyond that is Little River?” 96
“Two miles more or less.”
“Fine. Wait around till the rest of the boys come in, Chuck. Oh, by the way, how near are the sheep to our eastern herd of cows?”
“Five miles more will bring ’em to the range the cows are on now.”
An hour before supper the rest of the punchers began to come in from riding the range and rounding up strays. Before they were permitted a mouthful, however, Bissell went out to the bunk house with Stelton.
“Boys,” he said, “which of you was down at the Big Horn last night an’ turned them sheep back?”
A man spoke up and then two more who had been left on guard in the vicinity.