whence issued a fresh outburst of shrieks.

The Happy Family looked at one another and then at the White
House.

"Aw, some folks hain't got a lick of sense when it comes to
kids," Big Medicine accused gruffly.

"The Kid," Weary explained, "put the nose bag on Silver and
then left the stable door open."

"They ain't--spanking him for it, are they?" Andy demanded
belligerently. "By gracious, how'd a kid know any better?
Little bit of a tad like that--"

"Aw, they don't never spank the Kid!" Slim defended the
parents loyally. "By golly, they's been times when I would-a
spanked him, if it'd been me. Countess says it's plumb
ridiculous the way that Kid runs over 'em--rough shod. If
he's gittin' spanked now, it's the first time."

"Well," said Andy, looking from one to another and reverting
to his own worry as he swung down from his sweating horse,
"there's something worse than a spanked kid going to happen
to this outfit if you fellows don't get busy and do
something. There's a swarm of dry-farmers coming in on us,
with their stock to eat up the grass and their darned fences
shutting off the water--"

"Oh, for the Lord's sake, cut it out!" snapped Pink. "We