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"A few years ago, while rangering down the country," said he, "four of us had trailed some horse-thieves down on the Rio Grande, when they gave us the slip by crossing over into Mexico. We knew the thieves were just across the river, so we hung around a few days, in the hope of catching them, for if they should recross into Texas they were our meat.
Now, fall off those horses and spruce up a little, for I intend to introduce you to some as nice girls as you ever met. You may want to quit rangering some day, and I may need a man about your size, and I'm getting tired of single ones." Lieutenant Barr surrendered. Saddles were stripped from horses, packs were unlashed from mules, and every animal was sent to our remudas under herd.
Bob descended slowly from the ladder, balancing the remainder of the red stain. Thorne looked at him curiously. "How do you like it as far as you've gone?" he permitted himself to ask. "This isn't quite up to the romantic idea of rangering, is it?" "Well," said Bob with conviction, "I suppose it may sound foolish; but I never was surer of anything in my life than that I've struck the right job."
He came next to full consciousness to hear Thorne saying: "Mrs. Morton fought fire with the best of them. That's the ranger spirit I like when as of old the women and children " "Don't praise me," broke in Mrs. Morton tartly. "I don't give a red cent for all your forests, and your pesky rangering. I've got no use for them. If Charley Morton would quit you and tend to his cattle, I'd be pleased.
By and by he'll find out that tending to his business honestly is about one man's job." So, without active opposition, and with only tacit disapproval, Bob made his change. Nor was he received at headquarters with any blare of trumpets. "I'll put you on as 'temporary' until the fall examinations," said Thorne, "and you can try it out. Rangering is hard work all kinds of hard work.
When the mules were packed and their mounts saddled, the old ranchero extended them a welcome whenever they came that way again. "Well, now, Mr. Lovelace," said Lieutenant Barr, "you had better not press that invitation too far. The good time we have had with you discounts rangering for the State of Texas.
Jack Pollock seemed familiar with the idiosyncrasies of the stuff, for he suffered little damage. Indeed, he even found leisure, as Bob soon discovered, to scrutinize his companion with a covert curiosity. In the eyes of the countryside, Bob had been "fired," and had been forced to take a job rangering.
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