"All the stock caught west of the bridge was sent back for feed and water by my orders. It has all been taken care of. You should have been notified, certainly; it is the business of the stock agent to see to that. Let me inquire about it while you are here, Mr. Dunning," suggested McCloud, ringing for his clerk.
Dunning lost no time in expressing himself. "I don't want my cattle held at Point of Rocks!" he said angrily. "Your Point of Rocks yards are infected. My cattle shouldn't have been sent there."
"Oh, no! The old yards where they had a touch of fever were burned off the face of the earth a year ago. The new yards are perfectly sanitary. The loss of the bridge has crippled us, you know. Your cattle are being well cared for, Mr. Dunning, and if you doubt it you may go up and give our men any orders you like in the matter at our expense."
"You're taking altogether too much on yourself when you run my stock over the country in this way," exclaimed Dunning, refusing to be placated.
"How am I to get to Point of Rocks--walk there?"
"Not at all," returned McCloud, ringing up his clerk and asking for a pass, which was brought back in a moment and handed to Dunning. "The cattle," continued McCloud, "can be run down, unloaded, and driven around the break to-morrow--with the loss of only two days."
"It is too bad, certainly, but I suppose it will be several days before we can get a line across Smoky Creek."
"Why weren't the cattle sent through that way yesterday? What have they been held at Point of Rocks for? I call the thing badly managed."
"We couldn't get the empty cars up from Piedmont for the transfer until to-day; empties are very scarce everywhere now."
"There always have been empties here when they were wanted until lately. There's been no head or tail to anything on this division for six months."
"I'm sorry that you have that impression."
"That impression is very general," declared the stockman, with an oath, "and if you keep on discharging the only men on this division that are competent to handle a break like this, it is likely to continue!"
"Just a moment!" McCloud's finger rose pointedly. "My failure to please you in caring for your stock in an emergency may be properly a matter for comment; your opinion as to the way I am running this division is, of course, your own: but don't attempt to criticise the retention or discharge of any man on my payroll!"