
Zeb Whitney and Ricky Saunders find themselves on a sun‑baked ridge, dealing cards on a flat stone while a stray bullet whistles past. Hired to tend a bewildering flock of animated wool—sheep that seem to move with a mind of their own—the two cowhands trade jokes and uneasy glances as the desert air grows thick with suspicion. The sudden fire‑power hints at hidden motives, and even the quiet rustle of the flock feels like a warning.
As the pair dig deeper, they discover a strange bargain from a mysterious Mr. Watts, a promise of generous pay that smells of trouble. Whispers of a looming “sheep war” and a rivalry between shepherds and cattlemen begin to surface, pulling Zeb and Ricky into a conflict that’s both absurd and dangerous. Listeners are invited to follow their witty banter and uneasy partnership as they try to unravel what’s really behind the wool‑laden contract.
Language
en
Duration
~24 minutes (23K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
United States: The Ridgway Company, 1916.
Credits
Roger Frank and Sue Clark
Release date
2021-07-27
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1883–1969
Best known for lively Western stories full of humor and frontier action, this prolific pulp-era writer helped shape the feel of popular cowboy fiction in the early 20th century. His work later reached new audiences through film and television adaptations, including stories featuring Hashknife Hartley.
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