“What do you do?” questioned Sid.

“Oh! drink—­some,” answered Dave.

“You don’t though—­do you?” asked Sid.

“Oh! well—­some,” said Dave slowly, as he poked the fire.  “Have to drink with other men, you know.  They wouldn’t think I was friendly if I didn’t.”

Sid looked troubled.  Dave never used to drink when he worked for Sid’s father two or three years before, on the fruit ranch up country.

Dave’s bread was done.  There were yellow streaks in it, but Sid ate it.

“The principal thing’s to get something to eat when your [Transcriber’s note:  you’re?] ranching,” apologized Dave.

About a week after this the round-up began.

“You take Rix,” said Dave.  “I’ll take another horse, and we’ll hunt the cattle up.”

In and out of the gullies they rode, here and there through the hills.  Late in the afternoon all the cattle that were to be shipped were together.  The moon rose full and bright, making the hills almost as light as day.  Sid and Dave stood by the shanty, looking back at the corral, where the cattle were.

“We’ll start early to-morrow morning, Sid,” said Dave.  “Guess we’ll meet some of the other ranchers on the road, most likely.  You tired?  Musn’t let one day’s riding use you up.  We’ll be two days going down, and one coming back.  We can ride nights some, maybe.  It’ll be pleasant.”

Next night they were part way down the hills, far enough so that they were leaving the bare portions behind, and entering the live-oak districts.  Sid stood in the moonlight by an oak, and watched some of 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.