Banging around in the back end of a common cattle truck, Sally's Cloverdale Marathon III came home to the Circle T in disgrace. In a corner of the truck, the late Solomon's harem cackled and voiced loud cries of misery as they huddled in the rude, slatted shipping coop. The truck turned off the county road and onto the dirt road leading to the main buildings. It rattled across the cattle guard and through the new-unprotected and open gate in the barbed wire fence. Life had returned almost to normal at the Circle T. But not for long. Five days after Sally's ignominious dismissal from the armed forces, a staff car came racing up to the ranch. It skidded to a halt at the back-porch steps. Dr. Peterson jumped out and dashed up to the kitchen door. "Well, for heaven's sake," Hetty cried. "Come on in, sonny. I ain't seen you for the longest spell." Peterson entered and looked around. "Where's Johnny, Mrs. Thompson?" he asked excitedly. "I've got some wonderful news." "Now ain't that nice," Hetty exclaimed. "Your wife have a new baby or something? Johnny's down at the barn. I'll call him for you." She moved towards the door. "Never mind," Peterson said, darting out the door, "I'll go down to the barn." He jumped from the porch and ran across the yard. He found Johnny in the barn, rigging a new block and tackle for the hayloft. Barney was helping thread the new, manila line from a coil on the straw-littered floor. "Johnny, we've found it," Peterson shouted jubilantly as he burst into the barn. "Why, Doc, good to see you again," Johnny said. "Found what?" "The secret of Sally's milk," Peterson cried. He looked wildly around the barn. "Where is she?" "Who?" "Sally, of course," the scientist yelped. "Oh, she's down in the lower pasture with Queenie," Johnny replied. "She's all right, isn't she?" Peterson asked anxiously. "Oh, sure, she's fine, Doc. Why?" "Listen," Peterson said hurriedly, "our people think they've stumbled on something. Now we still don't know what's in those eggs or in Sally's milk that make them react as they do. All we've been able to find is some strange isotope but we don't know how to reproduce it or synthesize it. "But we do think we know what made Sally give that milk and made those hens start laying the gold eggs." Johnny and Barney laid down their work and motioned the excited scientist to join them on a bench against the horse stalls. "Do you remember the day Sally came fresh?" Peterson continued. "Not exactly," Johnny replied, "but I could look it up in my journal. I keep a good record of things like new registered stock births." "Never mind," Peterson said. "I've already checked. It was May 9th." He paused and smiled triumphantly. "I guess that's right if you say so," Johnny said. "But what about it?" "And that was the same day that the hens laid the first golden egg too, wasn't it?" Peterson asked.