unenthusiastically blue--just enough of the blue to make their color
definite.

Charming Billy came near laughing, but some impulse kept him
quiet-lipped and made his voice merely friendly. "Yes--this is a
pretty good place for that business," he observed quite seriously. "A
lot uh people are doing that same thing."

Mr. Dill warmed pitifully to the friendliness. "I was told that Mr.
Murton wanted to sell his far---- ranch and cattle, and I was going to
see him about it. I would like to buy a place outright, you see, with
the cattle all branded, and--everything."

Billy suddenly felt the instinct of the champion. "Well, somebody lied
to yuh a lot, then," he replied warmly. "Don't yuh never go near old
Murton. In the first place, he ain't a cowman--he's a sheepman, on a
small scale so far as sheep go but on a sure-enough big scale when
yuh count his feelin's. He runs about twelve hundred woollies, and is
about as unpolite a cuss as I ever met up with. He'd uh roasted yuh
brown just for saying cattle at him--and if yuh let out inadvertant
that yuh took him for a cowman, the chances is he'd a took a shot at
yuh. If yuh ask me, you was playin' big luck when yuh went and lost
the trail."

"I can't see what would be their object in misinforming me on the
subject," Mr. Dill complained. "You don't suppose that they had any
grudge against Mr. Murton, do you?"

Charming Billy eyed him aslant and was merciful. "I can't say, not
knowing who they was that told yuh," he answered. "They're liable to