Y'u're so darned good company
I'll ce'tainly pine for you," the foreman suggested, with
sarcasm, when the old man rolled up in his blankets preparatory
to falling asleep immediately.
Chalkeye's successor was a blatant youth much impressed with his
own importance. He was both foul-mouthed and foul-minded, so that
Jim was constrained to interrupt his evil boastings by pretending
to fall asleep.
It was nearly two o'clock when the foreman aroused his friend to
take his turn. Shortly after this the lad Hughie relieved the
bragging, would-be bad man.
Hughie was a flaxen-haired, rather good-looking boy of nineteen.
In his small, wistful face was not a line of wickedness, though
it was plain that he was weak. He seemed so unfit for the life he
was leading that the sheepman's interest was aroused. For on the
frontier it takes a strong, competent miscreant to be a bad man
and survive. Ineffectives and weaklings are quickly weeded out to
their graves or the penitentiaries.
The boy was manifestly under great fear of his chief, but the
curly haired young Hermes who kept watch with him had a very
winning smile and a charming manner when he cared to exert it.
Almost in spite of himself the youngster was led to talk.
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