The "Happy Family" of The Colonial had decided to make up a congenial party and spend the remainder of the summer at the Lolabama Ranch in Wyoming. They were expected on the morrow, everything was in readiness for their coming, and, after supper, down by the corrals Wallie and Pinkey sat on their heels estimating their probable profits.
Pinkey's forehead was furrowed like a corrugated roof with the mental effort as he figured in the dust with a pointed stick while Wallie's face wore a look of absorption as he watched the progress, although he was already as familiar with it as with his multiplication tables.
"Ten head of dudes at $100 a month is a $1,000," said Pinkey. "And twelve months in the year times a $1,000 is $12,000. And, say----"
Wallie interrupted: "But I've told you a dozen times they all go South in the winter. The most we can count on is two months now and perhaps more next summer."
Pinkey replied confidently: "You can't figger out ahead what a dude is goin' to do any more than a calf or a sheep. If we treat 'em right and they get stuck on the country they're liable to winter here instead of Floridy. Now, if we could winter--say--ten head of dudes at $150 a month for seven months, that would be $10,500. The trip through the Yellowstone Park and Jackson Hole Country is goin' to be a big item. Ten head of dudes--say--at $5.00 a day for--say--fifteen days is----"
"But you never deduct expenses, Pinkey. It isn't all profit. There's the interest on the investment, interest on the money we borrowed, groceries, the cook's wages, and we'll need helpers through the Yellowstone."
"You're gettin' an awful habit of lookin' on the black side of things," said Pinkey, crossly.
"If we can pay expenses and have a $1,000 clear the first year, I'll be satisfied."
"A thousand dollars!" Pinkey exclaimed, indignantly. "You're easy pleased--I thought you had more ambition. Look at the different ways we got to git their money. Two bits apiece for salt water baths and eight baths a day--some of 'em might not go in reg'lar--every day, but, say eight of 'em do, anyway, eight times two bits is $2.00. Then $10.00 apiece every time they go to town in the stage-coach is, say, $100 a trip--and they go twict a week, say, that's $200."
"But they might not go twice a week," Wallie protested, "nor all of them at a time."
"You shore give me the blues a croakin'. Why don't you look on the bright side of things like you useta? Do you know, I've been thinkin' we ought to make out a scale of prices for lettin' 'em work around the place. They'd enjoy it if they had to pay for it--dudes is like that, I've noticed. They're all pretty well fixed, ain't they?"