He looked down into the gulch, searched with his eyes for the stake that marked the southeast corner of the eighty lying off in this direction from the shack, and finally saw it fifty yards away on a bald patch of adobe.
He resisted the temptation to ride over and call upon Miss Allen--the resistance made easier by the hour, which was eight o'clock or thereabouts--and rode back to the others very well satisfied with himself and his plan.
He found the whole Happy Family gathered upon the level land just over his west line, extolling resentment while they waited his coming.
Grinning, he told them his plan, and set them grinning also.

He gave them certain work to be done, and watched them scatter to do his bidding.

Then he turned and rode away upon business of his own.
The claim-jumper, watching the bench land through a pair of field glasses, saw a herd of cows and calves scattered and feeding contentedly upon the young grass a mile or so away.

Two men on horseback loitered upon the outer fringe of the herd.

From a distance hilltop came the staccato sound of hammers where an other shack was going up.