The Flying U Ranch

he creek behind the bunk-house. "What's hurtin' yuh?" he asked curiously, when he came t

and, seizing Pink's arm in a gorilla

y combing out the tangled hair of his chaps, which he had washed quite

edicine gasped, and waggled his finger at the

g hens, rather than derisive humans, then bent his head over a stubbo

ing. He backed up the path and went thoughtfully to the co

cripes!" came rumbling

ise about it," he advised g

the full humor of the thing. "Idees sure seems to be skurce in this outfit-or that there lily-uh

boneheads don't appreciate him, is all that ails us. What we

hem idees, and that's the truth." He passed Pink and went on ahead, disgust in every line of his square-shouldered figure. "Combin' his chaps, by c

guel to take a hand in a long-winded game-rather, a series of games-of seven-up

laughing expostulations of the Little Doctor and the boyish titter of Pink and Irish, who were curling lab

ive the twist which made of each lock a corkscrew ringlet. The Countess stopped, with her dishcloth dangling from one red, bony hand, while she looked. "You boys co

"I'll find you a rich husband to pay for that." He

eg, with tight little curls between?" suggested the

u are," pra

told you five times already." She picked up the Kid, kissed many times the finger he held up for sympathy-the finger with which he had touched the tongs as Pink was pu

e're real ashamed of ourselves." Irish tested his tongs as he had b

a slim hand once more to give Pink's tongs the expert twist he was tryin

p briefly from his task. "How'

said the Countess peevishly, from the kitchen sink. "If I was that dago I'd murder the hull outfit; I ne

winter's journeyings, Cal, Happy Jack and Slim followed close behind, talking all at once, in their joy at beholding the man they loved well and hated occasionally also. Andy delivered the mail into the hands of the Little Doctor,

ped Slim, goggling at

or that," warned Happy Jack, as mournfully as h

he learned as much as it was politic to tell in the presence of the Little Doctor; and afterward, while Pink was putting t

think of anything-and, besides, I've reformed. I don't know as it's any compliment to m

him smoking and looking past you, as if you was an ornery little peak that didn't do nothing but obstruct t

im in there deliberate. And when I remarks it's soft going, he says: 'It is, kinda,'-just like that." Pink mana

al suggested soberly. But Slim only t

e asked Patsy if he ever had enchiladas. Patsy won't speak to h

to 'em like a she-bear to honey, down in New Mexico th

aybe you'll love him to death when yuh see him-chanc

ve got to have time to size him up. Where do you keep him when he ain't in the show window?" He swung into step with Pink. "I'll tell you the truth," he confided engagingly. "Any man that'll wear chaps like he's

"-he glanced over his shoulder to where the becurled chaps swung comically from the willow branch-"to-day's the first time anybody's made a move. Unl

im over towards it,

ing straight to the main poin

qualified hastily, "he hasn't topped anything worse t

here tune," Happy growled indignantly. "Why don't

it over," Andy suggested, and led the way.

as Andy Green failed at last to have a very fair mental picture of Miguel. He gazed tho

ke this Native Son so hungry for home-you watch me put

r two weeks, you'd want to kill him just t

crying to me for help. I should think the bunch of

r and faker in the bunch, i

hed his hands deep into his pockets, and at th

trick which made the fourth game his, when the group invaded the bunk-house. He looked up indifferently, swept Andy's face and figure

Miguel, who gave no sign. He turned his honest, gray eyes u

f the prodigal, so that Miguel gathered up the cards, evened their edges mechanically, and deigned another glance at this stranger who was being welcomed so vociferously. Also he

of 'em when you played merry hell in that bull-ring, last Christmas. Also, I was part of your bodyguard when them greasers were tryin

ressive countenance. He gave Andy Green one quick, grateful look-and a smile, t

t tall fellow who kicked that squint-eyed greaser in the stomach? Muchos gracios, senor! They were piling on me three deep, right then, and I always believed they'd have got me, only

ly. "We heard about the Arizona boys giving you the saddle-and we raked high a

," answered Miguel, a peculia

rd you had disappeare

. "To take a chance on getting a knife stuck in your back is another. Those Mexicans-th

only I though

was Spanish, yes. My mother"-his eyes flashed briefly at the fa

. He looked at the others-at all, that is, save Pink and Irish, who h

ad come to hate, "as well forget the story, also. I am not hungry for the feel of a knife in my back." He smiled again engagingly at Andy

ine and rode one of their crack bulls all round the ring, and then-" He stopped and looked apologetically at Miguel, in whose dark eyes there flashed a warning light. "I clean forgot," he confessed impulsively. "This meeting you here unexpectedly, like this, h

out the preliminary indignity of open repentance. They avoided meeting the velvet-eyed glances of Miguel, and at the same time they were plainly anxious to include h

rish feverishly combing out certain corkscrew ringlets, and dampening their combs in the creek to facilitate the process of straightening certain patches of rebellious frizzes. Mig

he pumped Miguel's hand up and down and afterward clutched at the manger for su

spot, like that. I saw you had the makings in you, soon as I caught your eye. And the whole, blame bunch fe

h a peculiar relish. "Two whole weeks, and ne

y, standing up and wiping his eyes. "I just thought I'd learn 'em a

l do as much for you. By the way, did you see the saddle those Arizona boys sent me? It's over here. It's a pip-pin-almost as fine as the spurs, which I keep in the bunk-house when th

he face of Miguel, his jaw hanging slack

e fellow-" Miguel faced him stead

ow a darned thing about it, only what I read in the papers. I spent t

said M

after which Andy went forth into the night to medita

that he was going to like Andy very much indeed. And, since the Happy Family had shown a disposition to make him one of themselves, he

ember of Jim Whitmore's Happy Family, and play hi