Chip did not resume his whistling, though he might have done so if he
had heard a little more, or a little less. As a matter of fact, it
was the Densons, and the Pilgreens, and the Beckmans that were under
discussion, and not the Flying U cowboys, as Chip believed. He no
longer smiled sympathetically.

"We furnish her with some amusement, do we? That's good! We're a good-
hearted lot, but SO ignorant! The devil we are!" He struck the rivet
such a blow that he snapped one shank of his spur short off. This meant
ten or twelve dollars for a new pair--though the cost of it troubled him
little, just then. It was something tangible upon which to pour
profanity, however, and the atmosphere grew sulphurous in the vicinity
of the blacksmith shop and remained so for several minutes, after which
a tall, irate cow-puncher with his hat pulled low over angry eyes left
the shop and strode up the path to the deserted bunk house.

He did not emerge till the Old Man called to him to ride down to Benson's
after one of the Flying U horses which had broken out of the pasture.

Della was looking from the window when Chip rode up the hill upon the
"coulee trail," which passed close by the house. She was tired of the
platitudes of Dunk, who, trying to be both original and polished, fell
far short of being either and only succeeded in being extremely tiresome.

"Where's Chip going, J. G. ?" she demanded, in a proprietary tone.

"Down t' Benson's after a horse." J. G. spoke lazily, without taking
his pipe from his mouth.

"Oh, I wish I could go--I wonder if he'd care." The Little Doctor spoke