“Now, I’ll just tell you what’s a fact, father,” said Ned, who stood on the porch with Uncle John, watching George as he galloped away, “if you are going to do anything you must come out and make a square stand. You don’t want George here any more than I do.” “Be careful, Ned,” said Uncle John, in a suppressed whisper, looking anxiously around. “Some one might hear you.” “I don’t care who hears me. I don’t see any sense in being so sly. George will hang about here just as long as he has that herd of cattle to take care of. Take that away from him and perhaps he will clear out.” “But I don’t know how to do it,” said Uncle John. “Why, it is easy enough. Send some men out there with orders to drive the herd in.” “That would only bring on a fight; for George and Zeke would resist. Besides, you must remember that all the herdsmen on the place are friendly to George, and I don’t believe they would obey such an order.” “Then discharge them and hire others who will do as they are told,” exclaimed Ned, impatiently. “What’s the use of your trying to run the ranche if you can’t do as you please?” “But there’s one thing you don’t seem to understand. George has rights——” “Don’t he wish he may get them, though?” interrupted Ned, snapping his fingers in the air. “He can get them. If I go too far, he can appeal to the courts, and have me put out and a new guardian of his own choosing appointed in my place.” “Whew!” exclaimed Ned, opening his eyes in great amazement. “Does George know that?” “I don’t know whether he does or not; but _I_ know it; and I know, too, that there are plenty in the neighborhood who will tell him of it; so you see I must be careful and not let him get a good hold on me. You wouldn’t like to go back to Foxboro’ and work for your bread and clothes, after living at your ease, as you have ever since you have been here.” “No, I wouldn’t; and what’s more, I never will do it,” replied Ned, walking up and down the porch with his hands behind his back. “I’ll tell you what to do,” he added, suddenly, while a smile of triumph lighted up his face, “take his money away from him. He keeps a lot of it in a box in his room. I saw it there.” “What good will that do?” “Why, how is he going to keep a herdsman unless he has money to pay him?” “O, that would never do. He’d raise an awful row about it, and then go off and sell some of his cattle and get more money.”