Page:The Coming of Cassidy and the Others - Clarence E. Mulford.djvu/215

 his fingers irritably, he wheeled toward the corral. "I'm goin' down to look at th' dam—there's been lots of water leanin' ag'in it th' last week. Throw th' leather on Saint, if you wants, an' come along. I'll tell you about some cold weather that had th' Idyho brand faded. Cold weather! Huh!"

As he swung past the bunkhouse we saw Johnny and Billy Jordan leaning in the doorway ragging each other, as cubs will. Johnny grinned at Red and executed a one-hand phrase of the sign language that is universally known, which Red returned with a chuckle. "Wish he'd been here th' time God took a hand in a big game on this ranch," he said. "I'm minus two toes on each foot in consequence thereof. They can't scare me none by preachin' a red-hot hell. No, sir; not any."

He was silent a moment. "Mebby it ain't so bad when a feller is used to it; but we ain't. An' it frequent hits us goin' over th' fence, with both feet off th' ground. Anyhow, that Norther wasn't no storm—it was th' attendant