"Then you will have to break in a lot of new ones. Isn't that a waste of
time?"

"Young woman, we're ranchmen, not rockin'-chair gents. It's part o' our
business ter take somethin' what ain't much good, an' make it better.
That's the way we earn our bread an' bacon."

"So I see."

"Ted says ter me ter go up inter Montana an' pick up a lot o' good,
gingery hosses, an' I struck John Stallings. He says ter me, when I made
my wants known, 'Go out on ther range an' he'p yerself,' says he.
'They're all mine, an' Ted Strong an' his boys kin hev anythin' I've got
except my fam'ly. But,' says he, 'you'll find some purty lively stock
out there.'"

"Well, you did," said Stella, laughing.

"I reckon I picked out ther orneriest hosses in the whole West, an' I'm
savin' them fer some o' these Smart-aleck cowboys who'll be here from
ther ranches round, who think they kin ride," and he winked wisely.

"Gracious, look there!" she cried. "What's Ted trying to do. He'll be
hurt, Bud."

"No, I reckon not, but I'll git in thar handy ter help him if he needs
it. Keep the kid outer ther way if that bunch breaks."

Ted had done what none of the others had succeeded in doing.