"Too early for me," he said, "you fellers can git all you need into you though. But see here, folks," he went on, with a quietness of purpose that promptly reduced every eye to seriousness. "This ain't no play game as Sunny may ha' made you think. It's a proposition that needs to go thro', an'--I'm goin' to see it thro'. Zip's kids is our first trouble. They ain't easy handlin'. They got to be bro't up reg'lar, an' their stummicks ain't to be pizened with no wrong sort o' vittles. Ther's such a heap o' things to kids o' that age it makes me nigh sweat at the tho't. Howsum, Zip's down an' out, an' we got to see him right someways. As 'pres' of this lay-out, I tell you right here, every mother's son of us had best git out an' learn all we ken about fixin' kids right. How to feed 'em, how to set their pretties on right, how to clean 'em, how to--well, jest how to raise 'em. If any o' you got leddy friends I'd say git busy askin' 'em. So--" At that moment the sound of footsteps on the veranda came in through the window, and Bill looked round. The next instant he spoke more rapidly, and with greater authority. "Git goin'," he cried, "an' we'll meet after supper." There was no doubt of this man's rule. Without a word the men filed out of the store, each one with his thoughts bent upon the possibilities of acquiring the knowledge necessary. CHAPTER XI STRANGERS IN SUFFERING CREEK Bill watched the men depart. The stolid Minky, too, followed them with his eyes. But as they disappeared through the doorway he turned to the gambler, and, in surprise, discovered that he was reclining in a chair, stretched out in an attitude of repose, with his shrewd eyes tightly closed. He was about to speak when the swing-doors opened, and two strangers strolled in. Minky greeted them, "Howdy?" and received an amiable response. The newcomers were ordinary enough to satisfy even the suspicious storekeeper. In fact, they looked like men from some city, who had possibly come to Suffering Creek with the purpose of ascertaining the possibilities of the camp as a place in which to try their fortunes. Both were clad in store clothes of fair quality, wearing hats of the black prairie type, and only the extreme tanning of their somewhat genial faces belied the city theory. Minky noted all these things while he served them the drinks they called for, and, in the most approvedly casual manner, put the usual question to them. "Wher' you from?" he inquired, as though the matter were not of the least consequence. He was told Spawn City without hesitation, and in response to his remark that they had "come quite a piece," they equally amiably assured him that they had. Then one of the men addressed his companion. "Say, Joe," he said, "mebbe this guy ken put us wise to things." And Joe nodded and turned to the storekeeper.