put out.

"Tell you the truth, I'm havin' a dog's time of it with my cook.
He's gone to bed an' I don't think there's a thing to eat."

"What'll the night riders do?" I asked.

"Oh, they'll raise Cain as usual, but that's all the good it'll do
'em."

"That ain't all they'll do," sez I. "Chances are they'll take it out
on the cattle, an' they may--they may even go so far as to get the
cattle to cut up until the day shift has to turn out an' help quiet
'em."

"Is that the reason?" he asked, his face lightin' up.

"I don't know for sure, but that's my first guess," sez I.

He looked down at his feet an' I looked him over. He was a nice
lookin', well built boy, but he was up against it for about the
first time, an' I saw his finish. "I would take the job o' foreman,"
I sez.

"I hire you--ten a month advance over regular wages, an' you to
begin to-morrow."

"No," sez I, "me to begin to-night--with supper."

"All right," sez he, laughin', "help yourself."