“Oh! all right, Mr. Thomas, please yourself,” said Adrian, with a shrug of his shoulders; “you can stay around awhile, and the first chance that comes along make a shift of quarters. The boys’ll see that you get something to eat; or else ask the Chink cook.”
As he and the deposed manager entered the building,
he went on to explain a little further, seeing that Uncle Fred looked curious.
“He’s pretty much of a harmless fellow, I take it. All the way here he kept telling of things he had done until you’d think he was a hero if ever there was one; but I reckon it’s all brag with him, and that he’s as timid as they make them. But let’s sit down here, and have a good chin, Uncle.”
They were alone in the bunk house, as far as Adrian could see, so he did not hesitate to speak freely concerning his plans, especially with regard to having sent for the sheriff and his posse, with the idea of opposing any hostile move the lawless Walkers might undertake, upon finding how conditions had changed with the coming of the real owner of Bar-S Ranch.
“It may pass off without open trouble,” Adrian concluded, “but if half I’ve been hearing about this Hatch Walker is true, I don’t think he’ll stand by and see his sway of power over the section knocked out, without making some sort of fight. He may not come into the open, but there are lots of ways of burning ranch buildings, or running off stock, that could be tried. One thing I’m determined on, and that is either I’m going to be boss of my own outfit, or else there won’t be any outfit left on Bar-S Ranch!”
“Good! I like to hear that sort of talk. It’s the stuff I used to put up before I was so unfortunate
as to run across a woman who was bent on marrying me. There was where I made my one great mistake. The widow was too much for me, and almost before I knew it we were spliced. You can imagine how I felt later on when first I learned that Mrs. Smeed was really the sister of Hatch Walker. Oh! well, here I am talking about my personal affairs again, when I said I’d let them drop.”
“First of all,” said Adrian, “you must give me a list of the punchers who are employed on the range here, and put a cross in front of every name belonging to a man you have any reason to believe is connected with the Walkers.”
“Oh! I can do that easy, and right now,” replied the other quickly. “I know them all, for haven’t they laughed at my orders of late, after they learned how I was badgered by a woman, me who had always been a man before. Shall I write them out now for you, son?”