terruption was repeated under almost identical circumstances, save that the tree under which the shep

oulders worthy of shoving against a work-collar; but the neck tapered down small behind a short head, and the legs, for all their breadt

ouldered, an ideal cavalier for the days when youths rode out in armour-plate to seek adventur

lf as to uncoil his long legs, rise, and sta

Mr. Drew,"

How's everyth

t at Logan's reply he check

f company lat

mpa

s over there by the creek now, fishin' I think. I told him I'd holler if

t his horse

es he wa

wanting to hunt and fi

m he was welcome to do

ner, L

ld house, too. Seems so

t sort of a f

en; but he rides damn well,

lly rose and touche

and swung his horse to the left,

houlder: "What sort

, slipping down into his original

Drew, and started at

m thoroughly from the eyes of Logan than he abandoned his direct course for the creek. He swung from the s

ess through a long moment, shrinking against the trunk of a tree and scanning the forest anxiously in all directions. At length he ventured out again, grown doubly cautious. In this manner he worked his way up th

t as prone, he moved from the shadow of one tree to the next, now and then venturing a glance to make sure that

b which shadowed a deep pool. The big grey man set his teeth and waited with the patience of a stalking bea

ose to the edge of the stream, dipped his net into the water, and jerked it up at once bearing a twisting, shining trout enwrapped in the meshes. Swinging about as

, and blank of eye, as a man might look who dreamed and awoke to see his vision standing before him in full sunlit life. What his expression became

he trees as cautiously as he had made his approac

young friend," he sa

an reach him with a hol

he pleases on the place; and he can bunk down at the h

asy. Anth

ew slowly, "A

, and fixed a curious eye

rew wheeled his horse and spurred at a sharp ga

erd. "No fooling about that damned old s

oneliness of their work to talk with themselves. "The old boy's w

d the revolver

Logan. Straight on he pushed his horse, not exactly like one who fled but rather more like one too busy with consuming thoughts to pay the

asked of the man

th the boys in the

lling, knocked, and threw open the door. Inside, a doz

as

er

, Nash. I'm

bove the hips and a light-weight below-a handsome fellow, except that his eyes were a little too small and his lips a trifle too thin. He rose now in the midst of a ge

e of the men clenching his f

e been here much longer, Pete, you'll find out that about everything I do is

hand first,"

, "d'you think I'll take a ch

ent hurriedly out of the bunk-house and up to the main building. There he found Dre

the money from the boys again, Steve? I thou

way from the cards is like a horse stayin' off its feed. Besi

's t

ed 'em

were a profes

they didn't have no

e them throw every cent

ay

't go o

d 'em that I wasn't a gambl

smile, though it came like a shadow

as well lose it to yo

sh, "it keeps it i

Steve, crooked cards w

ast on the draw," s

usiness. Now I want you t

l wo

own

infinite meaning, "sounds like the