the men. They sat around a little fire, and played cards and drank.
Out in the moonlight were other men, taking charge of the droves of
cattle. Sid could see horns and heads, and once in a while a man would
come to the fire and drink and joke with the others. Dave came after a
time. He saw Sid with Rix by the tree. Sid had tied the horse there.

"Come over to the fire, and get warm," said Dave.

Sid went. One of the men held out a bottle to Dave. He took it, and
drank.

"Give some to the youngster," said the man good-naturedly. "He's tired
driving cattle, I reckon."

Dave looked at Sid, but Sid shook his head.

"Too fine to drink with us cowboys?" asked the man by the fire.

"Let him alone," said Dave. "He ain't going to drink if he don't want
to."

Sid went back to his tree. He put an old gray quilt around him, and
lay down. Then he remembered. He rose again, and knelt in the dark by
the tree trunk. He asked God to keep the cattle from injuring anybody,
and to keep the men and Dave from becoming very drunk. Sid was afraid.

He lay down again. Once in a while he looked over toward the fire.
Dave came to it sometimes, and always one or the other of the men
offered him a bottle. Sometimes Dave acted as though he were going to
refuse; but the other men always joked, and then Dave drank.