The boys roared and Melton looked a little sheepish.
"You scored on me that time," he laughed. "But come along now down to the
bunk house and meet some of the boys. A good many are away riding herd,
but the foreman is here and two or three of the others, and a lot more
will come in when it's time for grub."
"How many men do you need to run the ranch?" asked Dick.
"Oh, about twenty, more or less," answered Melton. "In the busiest season
I usually take on a few more to help out, especially when I'm getting
ready to ship the stock.
"Pretty good set of fellows I have now," he went on as he led the way
toward the men's quarters. "Not a trouble maker in the bunch, except a
half breed that I'm not particularly stuck on, and that I'm going to get
rid of as soon as work gets slack. But take them all together I haven't
got any kick coming.
"Of course," he qualified as he stopped to light his pipe, "they ain't
what you could call angels, by a long shot. If any one's looking for
anything like that, they won't find it on a ranch. Some pretty rough
specimens drift out here from the East, who perhaps have had reasons for
making a quick getaway.
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