employer as though Crawford had actually insulted him.

In an easy, conversational tone the cattleman continued, but now there
was a touch of frost in his eyes.

"It was thisaway, Dug. When he and Bob knocked Steelman's plans hell west
and crooked after that yellow skunk George Doble betrayed me to Brad, the
boy lost his boots in the brush. 'Course I said to get another pair at
the store and charge 'em to me. I reckon he was havin' some fun joshin'
you."

The foreman was furious. He sputtered with the rage that boiled inside
him. But some instinct warned him that unless he wanted to break with
Crawford completely he must restrain his impulse to rip loose.

"All right," he mumbled. "If you told him to get 'em, 'nough said."




CHAPTER X

THE CATTLE TRAIN


Dave stood on the fence of one of the shipping pens at the Albuquerque
stockyards and used a prod-pole to guide the bawling cattle below. The
Fifty-Four Quarter Circle was loading a train of beef steers and cows for
Denver. Just how he was going to manage it Dave did not know, but he
intended to be aboard that freight when it pulled out for the mile-high