"You're the owner, I know, but who's in charge o' the men?"
"I take full supervision," sez he.
"I don't want the job," sez I.
"All right," he snaps, "I don't recall havin' sent for you."
"No offense," sez I, "but up my way it's generally polite to inquire about the appetite. If any one was to ask me, I'd say I was hungry. If any one was to urge me, I'd be obliged to meet up with a little food." I looked him gently in the eyes. He dropped his an' looked put out.
"Tell you the truth, I'm havin' a dog's time of it with my cook. He's gone to bed an' I don't think there's a thing to eat."
"What'll the night riders do?" I asked.
"Oh, they'll raise Cain as usual, but that's all the good it'll do 'em."
"That ain't all they'll do," sez I. "Chances are they'll take it out on the cattle, an' they may—they may even go so far as to get the cattle to cut up until the day shift has to turn out an' help quiet 'em."
"Is that the reason?" he asked, his face lightin' up.