"Pass the good word to the bunk-house," said Drake, "if they can hear
you."

Sam went across, and the shouting stopped. Then arose a thick volley of
screams and cheers.

"That don't sound right," said Drake, leaping to his feet. In the next
instant the Chinaman, terrified, returned through the open door. Behind
him lurched Half-past Full, and stumbled into the room. His boot caught,
and he pitched, but saved himself and stood swaying, heavily looking at
Drake. The hair curled dense over his bull head, his mustache was spread
with his grin, the light of cloddish humor and destruction burned in his
big eye. The clay had buried the spirit like a caving pit.

"Twas false jewelry all right!" he roared, at the top of his voice. "A
good old jimmyjohn full, boss. Say, boss, goin' to run our jimmyjohn off
the ranch? Try it on, kid. Come over and try it on!" The bull beat on the
table.

Dean Drake had sat quickly down in his chair, his gray eye upon the
hulking buccaroo. Small and dauntless he sat, a sparrow-hawk caught in a
trap, and game to the end--whatever end.

"It's a trifle tardy to outline any policy about your demijohn," said he,
seriously. "You folks had better come in and eat before you're beyond
appreciating."

"Ho, we'll eat your grub, boss. Sam's cooking goes." The buccaroo lurched
out and away to the bunk-house, where new bellowing was set up.