But his voice was normally calm, and his tone was the tone of authority, which Jean knew very well, and which nearly always amused her because she firmly believed it to be utterly useless.
He said in the tone of an ultimatum: "If you're bound to stay at the ranch, you've got to have somebody with you.

I'll ride in and get Hepsy Atwood in the morning.

You're getting thin.

I don't believe you take time to cook enough to eat.

You can't work on soda crackers and sardines.