B. M. Bower

“ Idelle turned quickly; since she never could hold a grudge, the owner of the voice got a welcoming smile for greeting. Her cousin Bob nodded, said: “Hello, Don!” and promptly excused himself.
The trespasser slid as promptly into Bob's chair. “Yes, that was almost as exciting as herding sheep,” he added, banteringly.
“Or dealing with lawless herders,” supplemented Idelle. Then: “You don't look much like a sheep herder to-night. I don't believe you ever were one—really.” ”

“ The sheep had not moved perceptibly nearer, but there they were on the ridge, within half a mile of the coulée. Kid led the way across and Idelle followed silently.
“They ain't on our land yet,” Kid remarked, when they were climbing the ridge. “But they're grazing close to the dead line, all right enough—and if it's as you say, they've got to take a sneak down the other side.”
“It's the same bunch and the same herder,” Idelle assured him. “When I told him to go yesterday, he just laughed at me and wouldn't move. You'd think he owned the earth.” ”

“ It was the effect of the sheep; they make one silly—you know that yourself. If I hadn't got fired——”
“I'm sorry for that,” she told him, “though you don't deserve it. I think papa could give you work—but not at sheep herding—if you want a job. He's looking for a man to take charge of a winter camp, about fifteen miles from here.” She felt very magnanimous, indeed, in telling him this.
He looked grateful, and a bit amused, though she could not see why he should. “I'd like to hire out to your father, but I don't see how I can. You see, I've got another job waiting for me, up in Great Falls. ”

“ Down a certain coulée flowed a broad, shallow creek, and she headed toward it indignantly, guided by her protesting olfactory nerves. Sheep in that coulée and on that creek came near being the unforgivable sin, in her opinion; for the coulée was her father's, and her father was a cattleman. Cattle and sheep do not mix well on the range, as everyone knows. ”

“ The herder jumped, slid the jew's-harp shamefacedly into his pocket and turned a deprecatory face toward them. “Ay ben let dem sheeps eat do grass,” he drawled, grinning as only a bashful Swede can grin, when nature has been overgenerous in bestowing a mouth upon him.
Idelle gasped and glanced hastily at Kid; but that gentleman had a mind only for the business in hand.
“You been watering your sheep down in that coulée, and you wouldn't get out yesterday when this young lady warned you off. Ain't yuh got neither manners nor sense? The best thing you can do is take a sneak out uh here.” ”

“ And I can make a living at it. I think”—wistfully—“I could even support a wife comfortably.”
“Wives are a very expensive luxury,” she reminded him, demurely. “They say it's cheaper to support an automobile, even.”
“I'd like to try supporting a wife,” he persisted, and there was that in his eyes which made Idelle's cheeks feel hot. “Where are you staying?” he asked, after a second or two. “I've hunted the town over to find you—and it isn't such a big town, either. But I couldn't seem to find anyone that knew you—till to-night.”
“You evidently know Cousin Bob,” she said. ”

“ The next day she rode out, firmly resolved to put a stop to the insolence of that particular sheep herder. Just because he happened to be educated, she argued, was no reason why he should calmly ignore the rights of ownership. His education only made his actions the more inexcusable; a man of his stamp had no business to be herding sheep, anyway ”

“ You see, I didn't speak their language, and they didn't seem to understand mine; to get anything out of them required much English that a lady should never be obliged to listen to—and I can't swear fluently in any other language. ”

“ Idelle noticed that his hands were very nice—for a sheep herder's.
“Well, I'm going to report you. Mr. Burgess doesn't uphold his herders in ranging over other people's property, and——”
“You wouldn't deprive a poor man of a job?” He eyed her intently—so intently, in fact, that she preferred not to meet his look.
“It will not be me—if you lose your job it will be your own fault. You ought to go when I tell you.”
“But vou oughtn't to tell me to go,” he argued. “You ought to consider the—the sheep. ”