Charlie, they learned a little later, was a Chinaman of uncertain age, who had been on the ranch for many years and they were not long in finding that what he did not know about cooking was, as Jack declared, mighty hard to discover. Whatever else they did at the ranch it was evident that they did not stint themselves on food, either as to quantity or quality and, as the long ride had given them a keen appetite, they did full justice to the meal.
"Now, Sue, you'll have just about time before dark to show the boys around the place," Jeb said as he pushed back his chair.
"Righto," she agreed as she led the way from the room. "How long was Slim's rattlesnake to-day?" she laughed a moment later.
"Well, he didn't set any definite length to it," Bob smiled. "He said he only saw the last thirty feet of it as it was going into a hole."
"Thirty feet! Was that all? Slim must be losing his grip. Did he spring the pumpkins on you?"
"Yes, he told us they were the only things they couldn't raise out here," Jack smiled.
"Slim's really a dear," she told them, "but he does love to tell big stories. You mustn't believe only about half what he says, and you want to look out for Slats Magee. He's a dear, too, but he loves to play jokes on folks, especially strangers, and some times he goes a bit too far. Those two boys are a pair and you mustn't be a bit surprised at anything they do. Most of the time they're scrapping together, although they really think the world of each other. But they'd never in the world acknowledge it. You won't be here long before Slim will tell you what a terrible desperado Slats is and, from what Slats'll tell you about Slim, you'd think he had committed every crime known to the law, murder included."
By this time they had reached the immense barn, larger by many times than they had supposed a barn could be, and they were intensely interested as their guide led them from one part to another.
"How many horses do you keep?" Bob asked.
"About forty, I guess. They're out back in the corral. We'll go out there after a bit, but first I must take you over to the shack and introduce you to the boys."