“He’ll be crowded clear off the map inside another year,” Hinman said. “I don’t suppose you told him about how glad I’d be to have him swarm over here on my grass with all his cows whenever he’s finally ordered out down there; now did you?” “I did sort of intimate that your range would always be wide open,” Carver stated. “I was straining every little point to save the taxes on that bunch of cows. I’ll bet it would have totalled up to anyhow six hundred dollars, those taxes would.” “Well, that’s all you agreed to do,” said Hinman. “And I guess I’d better pay you off and have it over with, even if you did get me into considerable of a snarl. Only one thing I can do now, since you made all those arrangements, and that’s to back up anything you told Nate. I never figured you’d let me in for anything like this.” “I’d prefer to take my pay in some other form than cash,” Carver announced as Hinman produced his check book. “Suppose you give me a bill of sale for a hundred head of coming yearlings instead of nine hundred cash and let ’em range with your stuff up on the west place till November.” “You can’t spend calves,” said Hinman. “I could borrow against them if I was needing money,” Carver explained. “But coming yearlings are worth twelve dollars a head,” Hinman objected. “I’ll owe you the rest,” Carver offered. “And when I deliver in November they’ll be worth more’n that. They’ll bring round sixteen dollars a head by then.” “That’s what I was counting on,” said Carver. “I like to feel every morning that I’m worth just a little more than I was the night before.” Hinman laid down the check book and regarded him. “Now it’s always struck me that you put yourself out to be worth just a mite less each morning than you was the night before,” he stated. “Surely you haven’t gone and deserted the ranks of the tumbleweeds in favor of the pumpkins. I never knew you to set a value on a dollar.” “That’s because I never chanced across just the right sort of dollar,” Carver explained. “Now this is different.” He produced his lucky coin and handed it over for inspection. “I’m aiming to accumulate a number of others just like this to keep it company.” Hinman inspected the silver dollar. “Yes,” he said. “This is a right unusual appearing sort of coin. Don’t know as I ever see one just like it. Now if you really think there’s a chance for you to collect some more like this and take an interest in holding on to them, why we might make a deal. You’ve just effected quite a saving on my taxes, so I can maybe stretch a point. But if I don’t deliver till November, and run ’em meantime on my grass, those critters will cost you fourteen apiece instead of twelve. You’ll be owing me five hundred in place of three.” “I don’t mind owing you,” said Carver. “We’ll close the deal.” As he rode away from the Box T he sang: “Oh, I’ve risked many dollars On the rambling tumbleweed And only one on pumpkins But that one went to seed.” III