"Mebby you're right," admitted "Shorty," "but he sure talks like a
schoolmarm, don't he?"
"He sure ain't no puncher," commented Bert.
"No, but I'm gamblin' that he's goin' to be," retorted Curly, ignoring
the reference to Patches' culture.
"Me, too," agreed Bob.
"Well, we'll all try him out this fall rodeo"; and "better not let him
drift far from the home ranch for a while," laughed the visitors. "So
long!" and they were away.
Before breakfast the next morning Phil said to Patches, "Catch up Snip,
and give him a feed of grain. You'll ride with me to-day."
At Patches' look of surprise he explained laughingly, "I'm going to give
my school a little vacation, and Uncle Will thinks it's time you were
out of the kindergarten."
Later, as they were crossing the big pasture toward the country that
lies to the south, the foreman volunteered the further information that
for the next few weeks they would ride the range.
"May I ask what for?" said Patches, encouraged by the cowboy's manner.
It was one of the man's peculiarities that he rarely entered into the
talk of his new friends when their work was the topic of conversation.
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