Nick expressed his surprise that the animals should be in this region, and promised to see that they were driven out. When he heard about the Leftons’ part in the affair he nodded sagely. “Thought they might be around here somewhere. With Mob Jamisson, hey? Better tell the boss. He’ll be interested.” Of all the cowboys on the X Bar X Ranch Teddy and Roy liked Nick Looker as well as anyone. Nick was generous to the core, as had been evinced when he had inherited quite a sum from an uncle and had promptly helped one cowboy out of a financial hole, squared up with another for losing his six hundred dollars, and then aided some distant relatives who suddenly came to light and proved to be poor. And on top of all this he had distributed some of the cash between his bunkhouse friends not by giving it to them direct but by pretending to lose to them at cards. Mr. Manley was not quite so interested as Teddy and Roy thought he would be, even after hearing of the remarks about “six hundred head” and “Jarmey’s place,” and “cars.” “Just talk, I reckon,” he declared. He pulled the ends of his long black mustache and looked at his sons quizzically. “No need to tell mother about the wolves. She’s got enough to think about.” “But, Dad,” Teddy persisted, “what do you make of the Lefton brothers?” “Don’t make anything. I’m certain that they don’t want to buy our cattle, for all their questions, an’ that’s all that interests me. Let’s go in.” They had been standing on the porch of the ranch house. “See Nick when you came by?” “Yes, he’s over at the bunkhouse. Come on, Teddy, we’ll say hello to mother. Guess my detective work went for nothing; hey, Dad?” Mr. Manley laughed and placed a hand on his son’s shoulders. He was tall, this ranch owner, with a pair of eyes that were as keen as the day he rode the ranges as a puncher. “You stick to it, Roy. Never mind what Teddy says. I suppose he laughed at you for sneaking back for your knife?” “I did at first, Dad. But not when Roy told me what he had heard,” Teddy answered seriously. “I’ll bet that meant something--about the cars and the rest of it. But I reckon you know best.” “We won’t say anything to mother about the wolves. We’re glad enough to forget ’em,” added Roy. “So it was that close, eh?” Mr. Manley looked at his sons keenly. They had not told him exactly how near they had been to death, not wanting to seem important. Their father guessed, however, what they left out. “Pretty close, Dad,” Roy answered in a low voice. “We have the Lefton brothers and Mob Jamisson to thank that we’re here.” Mr. Manley drew a corncob pipe from his pocket and filled it. He lit it and exhaled a cloud of smoke before he spoke. “I’d rather see wolves on four feet than on two,” he said slowly. Then, raising his voice: “Belle Ada wants to visit at the 8 X 8 to-morrow. You two go along with her. See you later.” He strode down the steps and walked toward the bunkhouse. Teddy, watching him go, grinned.