“The first they’ll know about it,” the other went on to say, “will be this afternoon when we come driving this recovered herd back home. One of the three men we left at the mouth of the coulie said he’d give something to be on hand when that took place, just to see what happened.”
“You bet I would, too!” declared the lanky puncher; “and my pards here would be tickled to death if they could see what she looks like when you kim aridin’ along, drivin’ your own cattle back home, which she expects are carryin’ the Walker brand by this time.”
“Sure we would!” burst out the other two, eagerly.
“All right, then, you can see that sight if you’ll engage with me for a year at the regular wages, and agree to stand back of me!” observed Adrian,
thinking the time had come to strike while the iron was hot.
“D’ye mean that, Adrian Sherwood?” asked the other, after he had caught affirmative nods from both his companions.
“Just what I do!” was the reply the ranch boy gave. “I expect there’ll have to be an overhauling of the pay roll when I take the reins in my own hands; because of course some of the punchers at the ranch will be Walker sympathizers, put there to cow the rest. My uncle will know those he can trust, and the rest must go; so you see I’ll need a few good trusty fellows to back me up. What do you say?”
“It’s a go!” exclaimed the lanky puncher, as he again thrust out his hand; “for it happens just now that we’re lookin’ for a job, as our boss sold out his ranch business, and the new man brought his own crowd along with him. We even thought of hiking over to Bar-S to see what chance there might be there; but since that Walker crowd has been runnin’ things up yonder none of us kinder like the idea of hitchin’ up with Mr. Comstock. But since you’ve come, and mean to do things like you say, why, we’ll throw in with you, sure we will, Adrian.”
That pleased the other more than he could find words to say.
“Then let’s call it a bargain, and first chance we