“Yeah, I know it, Molly. But that has nothing to do with us.”
“Did you see the sheep?”
“Yeah. I went as far as the dead-line, Molly. The hills are full of sheep. They were comin’ down the draws like the gray water of a cloud-burst, spreadin’ all over the flats. As far back as yuh can see, just sheep and dust.”
“Are they on Arrow range?”
“On the upper edge. The punchers threw ’em back about half a mile, but I dunno.” Jack shook his head. “There’s so many of ’em.”
“Dad has thirty thousand head,” she said slowly. “Or he did have that many before——”
“Before yuh ran away to marry me,” finished Jack.
“I went willingly, Jack.”
“Oh, I know it, Molly.” He turned and threw an arm across her shoulder. “You’ve had a rotten deal, girl. I wish for your sake that it could be undone. I didn’t know that there was so much hate between your dad and mine. I knew that they were not friends, but—well, I know now.”
“Your father drove my father out of this valley.”