"Why do you call Sandy just a herder, father?" Donald asked, seeming to fear that the term was a slight to his friend the Scotchman. "Because he is a herder, son. A shepherd is a man who herds or tends his own sheep--sheep that belong to him; a herder, on the contrary, is a man hired to care for other people's sheep. There is a great difference, you see. Generally speaking, a shepherd will take more pains with a flock than a herder will on the principle that we are more interested in our own possessions than in those which are not our own." "No one could take better care of sheep, father, than Sandy does." "I feel sure of that," agreed his father, gravely. "In fact all our herders are honest men--I am convinced of it. After the next shearing I mean to give to each man a small band of sheep for his own. He may run them with the flocks, sell the wool, and keep the money as a nest-egg. The men deserve a share in the profits of Crescent Ranch and I should like them to have it in return for their splendid spirit of loyalty." "Even Thornton?" Mr. Clark hesitated. "I have been watching Thornton," he admitted slowly. "That is why I kept him with me, and why I stayed behind." "Why, I never thought of that being the reason!" "It was my chief reason." "But now you are going off and leaving Thornton alone," Donald said, somewhat puzzled. "Yes, and I am leaving him in a position of trust, too. The supplies and much of our business is in his hands. He knows it. If he proves himself worthy, I shall appoint him, when we leave here, as manager in Johnson's place; if he abuses the confidence I am placing in him he will force me to appoint some one else. I wish to be perfectly fair." "But I do not like Thornton," declared Donald. "We must never be guided by our prejudices, Don." "And anyway," went on the boy, "I don't see how you will know what he is doing. You will be miles away in the hills. He could do almost anything he chose. Have you left some one to watch him, father?" "No, indeed, son. That would be a mean method; don't you think so? To set a trap for a man, or to spy upon him would be contemptible!" Donald hung his head, ashamed of the suggestion. "No," continued Mr. Clark less severely, "I have left no one on guard over Thornton but himself. I am really trusting him." "You will never find out what he does, then." "Yes, I shall." "I don't see how." "Thornton himself shall tell me." Donald gasped. "He never will tell you, father!" announced the boy positively. "Wait and see. Now let us think no more of Thornton, for it is of Sandy that we are to talk. He has a great surprise for you." "A surprise for me!" "Yes." Mr. Clark studied the lad's mystified expression with pleasure. "A surprise for me!" repeated Donald. "What can it be!" "You will see." "Aren't you going to tell me?" "No, not a word. It would spoil Sandy's fun." "A surprise!" reiterated Donald over and over.