“Assuming an air of superiority he observed, ’You seem to have forgot what I said to you yesterday.’

“‘No, I haven’t,’ I answered, ’but are you going to stay all night here?’

“‘I certainly am, if that’s any satisfaction to you,’ he answered.

“I got off my horse and asked him for a match, though I had plenty in my pocket, to light a cigarette which I had rolled during the conversation.  I had no gun on, having left mine in our wagon, but fancied I’d stir him up and see how bad he really was.  I thought it best to stroke him with and against the fur, try and keep on neutral ground, so I said,—­

“’You ain’t figuring none that in case of a run to-night we’re a trifle close together for cow-herds.  Besides, my men on a guard last night heard gray wolves in these sand-hills.  They are liable to show up to-night.  Didn’t I notice some young calves among your cattle this morning?  Young calves, you know, make larruping fine eating for grays.’

“‘Now, look here, Shorty,’ he said in a patronizing tone, as though he might let a little of his superior cow-sense shine in on my darkened intellect, ’I haven’t asked you to crowd up here on me.  You are perfectly at liberty to drop back to your heart’s content.  If wolves bother us to-night, you stay in your blankets snug and warm, and pleasant dreams of old sweethearts on the Trinity to you.  We won’t need you.  We’ll try and worry along without you.’

“Two or three of his men laughed gruffly at these remarks, and threw leer-eyed looks at me.  I asked one who seemed bad, what calibre his gun was.  ‘Forty-five ha’r trigger,’ he answered.  I nosed around over their plunder purpose.  They had things drying around like Bannock squaws jerking venison.

“When I got on my horse, I said to the boss, ’I want to pass your outfit in the morning, as you are in no hurry and I am.’

“‘That will depend,’ said he.

“‘Depend on what?’ I asked.

“‘Depend on whether we are willing to let you,’ he snarled.

“I gave him as mean a look as I could command and said tauntingly, ’Now, look here, old girl:  there’s no occasion for you to tear your clothes with me this way.  Besides, I sometimes get on the prod myself, and when I do, I don’t bar no man, Jew nor Gentile, horse, mare or gelding.  You may think different, but I’m not afraid of any man in your outfit, from the gimlet to the big auger.  I’ve tried to treat you white, but I see I’ve failed.  Now I want to give it out to you straight and cold, that I’ll pass you to-morrow, or mix two herds trying.  Think it over to-night and nominate your choice—­be a gentleman or a hog.  Let your own sweet will determine which.’