"Jim sent us to fix up that line with you," replied Andy. "He's over to Enright."
Gary glanced at Pete, who stared at him, but made no gesture of greeting. But Pete had read Gary's unspoken thought. "Bailey had sent a couple of kids over to the Blue to help survey the line." And Pete did not intend to let Gary "get by" with the idea that his attitude was not understood.
"Where's Houck?" asked Pete, naming the foreman of the T-Bar-T.
Cotton, Gary's companion, a light-haired, amiable but rather dull youth, stated that Houck was over to the ranch.
"I reckoned he'd come hisself," said Pete. "He knows this country better 'n most."
"Oh, I dunno," sneered Gary. "Some of us been here before."
"They wasn't no line then," said Pete quietly, "but they's goin' to be one."
"You makin' it?" queried Gary.
Pete smiled. "I was sent over here with Andy to do that same thing. But you're sure welcome to hand out any idees you got, seein' your fo'man ain't here."
Andy, who saw the inevitable end of this kind of talk, nudged Pete. "Let's eat," he said. "I reckon we're all willin'."