LITMIR.BIZ

      It’s me again, Hank the Cowdog. The mystery began on a Friday morning in May, as I recall. Yes, I’m sure it was May, because we’d finished branding our spring calves and were enjoying a period of quiet before hay season started.

      Loper and Slim were sitting in lawn chairs in the backyard, drinking coffee and enjoying the cool of the morning. It was something they didn’t do very often. Drover and I had finished our morning patrol and had assembled at the yard gate. There, we watched and listened.

      Loper said, “It sure is peaceful out here.”

      “Yep.”

      “Every once in a while, a man needs to slow down and notice the wonders of God’s creation.”

      “Yep. When do you reckon that’ll start?”

      Loper gave him a stern look. “Right now. That’s what we’re doing. We had a hard week getting the branding done, and now we can relax a little bit.”

      Slim took a slurp of coffee. “Okay with me.”

      Loper filled his lungs with fresh air and looked up at the sky. “For the next two days, I’m going to stick around the house—help Sally May with the yard work and take care of those little fix-up jobs that always seem to get put off. I might even take Alfred fishing.”

      Slim flashed a grin. “I’ve heard this before.”

      “Oh yeah? Well, you just watch. A man needs to stop and smell the roses.”

      “Loper, you wouldn’t know a rose from a dandelion . . . and speaking of dandelions, you’ve got a bunch of ’em growing in your yard. I’ll loan you my pocketknife if you want to start digging ’em up right now.”

      “Thanks. I’ve got my own knife, and I’ll put dandelions on my list of things to do.”

      “That’s just what I figured.”

      Loper shook his head and muttered something under his breath. “Slim, do you know what your biggest problem is?”

      “Poverty.”

      “No. You have a sour attitude about your fellow man.”

      “Not all of ’em, just the ones I know.”

      “Five bucks says that I spend the next two days doing chores around the house.”

      “I hate to take money from a fool.”

      Loper snapped his fingers. “Step up, son. We know you’ve got the mouth. Do you have five dollars to back it up?”

      Slim dug out his wallet and peeked inside. “Yes, I do, and I think I’m fixing to double it.”

      “You’re fixing to lose it, and when you do, I don’t want to hear you whine and moan. A deal’s a deal.”