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 feller's head you could 'a' strung him on a wire by."

"All right," said Barrett, suddenly determined on his course, "as self-elected representative of the stockholders in this company, I appoint you, Dan, superintendent of this ranch. You'll begin work this morning, and keep it up till further notice. Hire what men you need and can get, fire any you don't want."

"Hell!" said Dan, staring at Barrett in amazement.

"Fred, I want you to go to the ranch with me to see how Nearing is. If Manuel hasn't got the doctor from the post, as I told him to, we'll have to attend to that."

"If I'm goin' to be horse wrangler, Ed"

"You're promoted from horse wrangler. It's a job beneath your dignity."

"Well, what in the seven snakes am I?"

"Guide; my private and personal guide. I couldn't any more get around this range alone than a one-legged duck."

"We'll go ahead short-handed till spring," Dan announced, looking up like a man from his calculations, his way clear before him.

"Give us five years and we'll put fur collars on them stockholders," Fred declared.

There was not a man in Eagle Rock camp for Dan to superintend, save Alvino, the cook. All the honest ones working on the Diamond Tail had joined the pursuit of the thieves, and probably a few of the thieves who hoped to pass in this extremity for honest men until they might slip safely away. Dan, who took his honors soberly and seriously, appeared to have put down the lightness of his youth when he rose from the