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“No, I ain’t lost any yet, but by golly, I can see it fixin’ to fly,” Slim retorted heavily.

Andy looked around at the others, and smiled as sarcastically as was possible considering the mood he was in. “It sure does amuse me,” he observed, “to see growed men cryin’ before they’re hurt! By gracious, I expect t’ make a stake out uh that fall! I can get long odds from them Diamond Gs, and from anybody they get a chance to talk to. I’m kinda planning,” he lied boldly, “to winter in an orange grove and listen at the birds singing, after I’m through with the deal.”

“I reckon yuh can count on hearing the birds sing, all right,” Pink snapped back. “It’ll be tra-la-la for yours, if last night’s a fair sample uh what yuh expect to do with the blue roan.” Pink walked abruptly away, looking very much like a sulky cherub.

“I s’pose yuh’re aiming to give us the impression that you’re going to ride, just the same,” said Cal Emmett.

“I sure am,” came brief reply. Andy was beginning to lose his temper. He had expected that the Happy Family would “throw it into him,” to a certain extent, and he had schooled himself to take their drubbing. What he had not expected was their unfriendly attitude, which went beyond mere disappointment and made his offence–if it could be called that–more serious than the occasion would seem to warrant. Perhaps Jack Bates unwittingly made plain the situation when he remarked:

“I hate to turn down one of our bunch; we’ve kinda got in the habit uh hanging together and backing each other’s play, regardless. But darn it, we ain’t millionaires, none of us–and gambling, it is a sin. I’ve got enough up already to keep me broke for six months if I lose, and the rest are in about the same fix. I ain’t raising no long howl, Andy, but you can see yourself where we’re kinda bashful about sinking any more on yuh than what we have. Maybe you can ride; I’ve heard yuh can, and I’ve seen yuh make some fair rides, myself. But yuh sure fell down hard last night, and my faith in yuh got a jolt that fair broke its back. If yuh done it deliberate, for reasons we don’t know, for Heaven’s sake say so, and we’ll take your word for it and forget your rep for lying. On the dead, Andy, did yuh fall off deliberate?”

Andy bit his lip. His conscience had a theory of its own about truth-telling, and permitted him to make strange assertions at times. Still, there were limitations. The Happy Family was waiting for his answer, and he knew instinctively that they would believe him now. For a moment, temptation held him. Then he squared his shoulders and spoke truly.

“On the dead, I hit the ground unexpected and inadvertant. I–“

“If that’s the case, then the farther yuh keep away from that contest the better–if yuh ask me.” Jack turned on his heel and followed Pink.

Andy stared after him moodily, then glanced at the rest. With one accord they avoided meeting his gaze. “Damn a bunch uh quitters!” he flared hotly, and left them, to hunt up the Old Man and Chip–one or both, it did not matter to him.

Pink it was who observed the Old Man writing a check for Andy. He took it that Andy had called for his time, and when Andy rolled his bed and stowed it away in the bunk-house, saddled a horse and rode up the grade toward town, the whole outfit knew for a certainty that Andy had quit.

Before many hours had passed they, too, saddled and rode away, with the wagons and the cavvy following after–and they were headed for Great Falls and the fair there to be held; or, more particularly, the rough-riding contest to which they had looked forward eagerly and with much enthusiasm, and which they were now approaching gloomily and in deep humiliation. Truly, it would be hard to find a situation more galling to the pride of the Happy Family.