"You didn't look for it?"

"No, sir."

"Do you mean to say that you spent the night up there on the Divide
without blankets or anything?"

"Yes, sir, I did."

"And where did you stop last night?"

"At Simmons."

"Walked, I suppose?"

The stranger smiled. "Yes."

"But, look here," said the puzzled cowboy, "I don't mean to be asking
questions about what is none of my business, but I can't figure it out.
If you were coming out here to get a job on the Cross-Triangle, why
didn't you go to Mr. Baldwin in town? Anybody could have pointed him out
to you. Or, why didn't you say something to me, when we were talking
back there on the Divide?"

"Why, you see," explained the other lamely, "I didn't exactly want to
work on the Cross-Triangle, or anywhere."

"But you told Uncle Will that you wanted to work here, and you were on
your way when I met you."