“Well, by golly!” he bawled suddenly, and brought his palm down with a terrific smack upon his sore leg--whereat his fellows laughed uproariously. “We told you not to try to see through any more jokes till your leg gets well, Slim,” Andy reminded condescendingly. “Say, by golly, that's a good one on Dunk, ain't it? Chasin' himself clean outa the country, by golly--scared plumb to death---and you fellers was only jest makin' b'lieve yuh knowed him! By golly, that sure is a good one, all right!” “You've got it; give you time enough and you could see through a barbed-wire fence,” patronized Andy, from the hammock. “Yes, since you mention it, I think myself it ain't so bad.” “Aw-w shut up, out there, an' let a feller sleep!” came a querulous voice from within. “I'd ruther bed down with a corral full uh calves at weanin' time, than be anywheres within ten mile uh you darned, mouthy--” The rest was indistinguishable, but it did not matter. The Happy Family, save Slim, who stayed to look after the patient, tiptoed penitently off the porch and took themselves and their enthusiasm down to the bunk-house. CHAPTER XVII. Good News Pink rolled over in his bed so that he might look--however sleepily--upon his fellows, dressing more or less quietly in the cool dawn-hour. “Say, I got a letter for you, Weary,” he yawned, stretching both arms above his head. “I opened it and read it; it was from Chip, so--” “What did he have to say?” “Old Man any better?” “How they comm', back here?” Several voices, speaking at once, necessitated a delayed reply. “They'll be here, to-day or to-morrow,” Pink replied without any circumlocution whatever, while he fumbled in his coat pocket for the letter. “He says the Old Man wants to come, and the doctors think he might as well tackle it as stay there fussing over it. They're coming in a special car, and we've got to rig up an outfit to meet him. The Little Doctor tells just how she wants things fixed. I thought maybe it was important--it come special delivery,” Pink added naively, “so I just played it was mine and read it.” “That's all right, Cadwalloper,” Weary assured him while he read hastily the letter. “Well, we'll fix up the spring wagon and take it in right away; somebody's got to go back anyway, with MacPherson. Hello, Cal; how's Happy?” “All right,” answered Cal, who had watched over him during the night and came in at that moment after someone to take his place in the sickroom. “Waked up on the fight because I just happened to be setting with my eyes shut. I wasn't asleep, but he said I was; claimed I snored so loud I kept him awake all night. Gee whiz! I'd ruther nurse a she bear with the mumps!”