Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III THE BOTTOM RUNG Af early start was delayed. Joel had figured without his guest, as the Texan stands in a class by himself. The peace and serenity of pastoral life affects its people, influencing their normal natures into calm and tranquil ways. Hence, instead of the expected start at sunrise, after breakfast the trail foreman languidly sauntered out to the corral, followed by the boys. The old physician, even, grew impatient. " What on earth do you think is detaining that man ? " he inquired of Forrest. " Here the sun is nearly an hour high, and not a wheel turning. And I can see him from the tent opening, sitting on a log, flicking the ground with his quirt and chatting with those boys. What do you suppose they are talking about?" "Well, now, that's a hard question," answered Forrest. "I 'll chance the subject is of no importance. Just a little social powwow with the boys, most likely. Sit down, Doctor, and take life easy—the cows will calve in the spring." Patience had almost ceased to be a virtue when the trail boss put in an appearance at the tent. " You are in no particular hurry, are you, Doctor?" he inquired, with a friendly smile. "Oh, no," said the physician, with delightful irony; " I was just thinking of having the team unhooked, and lay over another day. Still, I am some little distance from home, and have a family that likes to see me occasionally." The buckboard rattled away. " Come in the tent," called Forrest to the boys. " If old Paul sees you standing out there, he's liable to think of something and come back. Honestly, when it comes to killing time, that old boy is the bell steer." Only three were now left at the homestead. The first concern was to intercept the next passing herd. Forrest had a wide acquaintance among trail fo... --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.