In spite of Andy Green's plea for delay until they knew what Luck meant to do, Applehead wenton with his energetic preparations for a spring roundup of his own. Some perverse spirit seemed topossess him and drive him out of his easy-going shiftlessness. He offered to hire the Happy Familyby the day, since none of them would promise any permanent service until they heard from Luck.He put them to work gathering up the saddle-horses that had been turned loose when Luck's picturewas finished, and repairing harness and attending to the numberless details of reorganizing a ranchlong left to slipshod make-shifts.The boys of the Flying U argued while they worked, but in spite of themselves the lure of themesa quickened their movements. They were supposed to wait for Luck before they did anything; anthey all knew that. But, on the other hand, Luck was supposed to keep them informed as to hismovements; which he had not done. They did not voice one single doubt of Lucks loyalty to them, but human nature is more prone to suspicion than to faith, as every one knows. And Luck had thepower and the incentive to "double-cross" them if he was the kind to do such a thing. He wasmanager for their little free-lance picture company which did not even have a name to call itself by.They had produced one big feature film, and it was supposed to be a cooperative affair from start tofinish. If Luck failed to make good, they would all be broke together. If Luck cleared up the fewthousands that had been their hope, why-they would all profit by the success, if Luck-I maintain that they showed themselves of pretty good metal, in that not even Happy Tack, confirmed pessimist that he was, ever put the least suspicion of Luck's honesty into words. Theywere not the kind to decry a comrade when his back was turned. And they had worked with LuckLindsay and had worked for him. They had slept under the same roof with him, had shared hisworries, his hopes, and his fears. They did not believe that Luck had appropriated the proceeds ofThe Phantom Herd and had deliberately left them there to cool their heels and feel the emptiness oftheir pockets in New Mexico, while he disported himself in Los Angeles; they did-not believethat-they would have resented the implication that they harbored any doubt of him. But for allthat, as the days passed and he neither came nor sent them any word, they yielded more and more tothe determination of Applehead to start out upon his own business, and they said less and less aboutLuck's probable plans for the future.