"No," replied the man, gravely. "Just help yourself, only don't get lost, an' remember yer dad knew enough to play a lone hand. I must be goin', now. Good day." He turned his horse to see Microby standing in the doorway. "Hello, Microby Dandeline! House cleanin', eh? I s'pect you took in the picture show in town?"
"Yes, but circusts is better. I got some yallar ribbon fer my hat, an' a awful lot o' candies."
"My, that's fine! How's ma an' the baby?"
"They stayed hum. The baby'd squall. Pa an' the boys is goin' to mend fence, an' I'm a-goin' to stay yere an' he'p her clean up the sheep camp."
The cowpuncher turned to Watts. "What's the big hurry about the fences, Watts? You goin' to take over a bunch of stock?"
"Hosses," answered Watts with an important jerk at his scraggly beard. "I done rented the upper pasture to a man name o' Schultz over in Blackfoot country. Five dollars a month, I git fer hit, an' five dollars fer every day er night they's hosses in hit. He done paid two months' rent a'ready."
Vil Holland's brows puckered slightly. "Schultz, you say? Over in the Blackfoot country?"
"Yas, he's aimin' to trail hosses from there over into Canady an' he wants some pastures handy."
"Did Schultz see you about it himself?" asked Vil, casually.
"No, Monk Bethune; he come by this way, an' he taken the pasture for Schultz."