W. C. Tuttle

“ Saunders, I can’t possibley git that swaller-tailed——’”
“Sh-h-h-h!” cautioned Zeb, sitting up and grasping Ricky by the sleeve. “Listen! Hear anything?”
A faint tinkle like the light tap of metal on stone sounded from up the washout, and was immediately followed by a smothered exclamation.
Zeb rolled over and slid feet first down the washout and pulled Ricky with him just as a bullet ploughed through their little fire and a streak of orange flame flashed further up the gully. ”

“ Zeb shoved his hands down in his overall pockets and frowned at the sun.
“It’s twenty miles to Mill City, Ricky. Did yuh ever think about what a walk that is?”
“Gosh, uh sore thumb is terrible, Zeb!” wailed Ricky. “I ain’t in no shape to walk a tall now. Twenty miles! Gee, Zeb, I never did nor never will walk that far with my insides cryin’ out fer grub th’ way they are right now. I reckon I’ve plumb lost my appetite.”
“I’m gittin’ sorta finicky myself,” agreed Zeb. “I don’t seem to look upon uh piece uh sheep meat th’ way uh hungry man should.” ”

“ Watts ain’t got no other place to range his woolies and he’s plumb got to have herders. Greasers won’t put up no fight a-tall, and so he pays uh big salary to white men to guard his property, sabe? I figgers it that some of th’ hangers-on of th’ cattlemen done went and loaded our stove with giant powder and takes uh chance that we’ll git elevated so much that we won’t look at no sheep-herdin’ job no more, Ricky. ”

“ A continuous repast of mutton and salt is almost sure to make even the best of digestive apparatus go awry. They had eaten it roasted in the coals, baked in clay, boiled in the water bucket and fried on a piece of the sheet-iron stove which had survived the explosion. ”

“ Both of them were inveterate cigaret-smokers—or rather had been until, as Ricky remarked:
“Dynamite is uh sure cure fer th’ cigaret habit, Zeb. She cures but she don’t remove th’ cravin’.”
That night they wended their weary way back to the bed ground and left the sheep out on the range. They had decided that there was no reason for bringing in the herd. If the cattlemen were bent on chasing them out of the country, why not let them have the trouble of rounding them up? ”

“ Ricky swept up the cards and put them in his pocket, and then settled himself comfortably.
“Zeb Whitney, every day is th’ first of April to you. If I was as suspicious as you are I’d git arrested. Jist because we’re uh long ways from home and in uh strange land, and cause uh feller likes our looks and gives us uh job takin’ care of his woolen meal-tickets at so much per care, you immediately and soon gits th’ idea that there’s uh brick under th’ hat. Look at th’ doughnut fer uh while, Zeb, and quit lookin’ at th’ hole in th’ center.” ”

“ Zeb climbed back and sat down against the tree.
“Ricky, I plumb wish we hadn’t taken this job.”
“Unha,” agreed Ricky, intent on his solitaire layout.
“Yes, sir, I am,” continued Zeb. “I knowed something was wrong when Jim Watts offers us uh hundred apiece uh month to dry nurse these darn animated wool gardens. Ricky, uh hundred dollars uh month is too much money to pay uh sheep-herder. ”