"Wall, I'd hate to accuse any one of doing sich a thing," rejoined Cal non-committally, "but," he added with a meaning emphasis, "I've heard of sheepmen setting tracts on fire afore this."
"But whatever for?" inquired Joe in a puzzled tone.
"So's to burn the brush away and hev nice green grass in the spring," responded Cal.
"Well, that's a nice idea," exclaimed Nat, "so they burn up a whole section of country to get feed for a few old sheep."
"Yep," nodded Cal, "and that's what is at the bottom of most of the sheep and cattlemen's wars you read about."
At first the boys felt inclined to chase up Jeb, but they concluded that it would be impracticable, so, allowing the sheepman to take his distant way off into the lonelier fastnesses of the Sierras, they hastened to the stream and began splashing about, enjoying the sensation hugely. Suddenly a voice on the bank above hailed them. Somewhat startled they all turned quickly and burst into a roar of laughter as they saw Herr Muller, who had slipped quietly from among them "holding them up" with a camera.
"Lookd idt breddy, blease," he grinned, "a picdgure I take idt."
Click!
And there the whole crew were transferred to a picture for future development.