The Flying U Ranch

ts of the imagination, pulled up on the brow of Flying U coulee and stared somberly at the picture spread below him. On the porch of the White House the ham

Weary or Irish, though it would take a much closer observation, and some familiarity with the two to identify the man more exactly. In the corral were a swirl of horses and an overhanging cloud of dust, with two or three figures di

artaches and rejoicings; a lucky little world, because its triumphs had been satisfying, its defeats small, its heartaches brief, and its rejoicings unt

White House, and straight to the porch, where the Little Doctor flipped a leaf of her magazine and glanced at him with a smile, and the Kid turned his plump bo

past the steps and the Kid, and close to the railing, so that he could lean and toss the mail into the Little Doctor's lap. There was a yell

ne a week-Baby! He's right between your horse's legs, Andy! Oh-h-baby boy, what won't you do next?" She scattered letters and papers from her lap and flew to the rescue. "W

t the same time I wouldn't hand him out as a playthin

ild! Come to mother, Baby!" He

farther backward, and sat down violently under the horse's sweat-roughened belly. He wriggled round so that he faced for

ame up with a red face, tossed the Kid into the eager arms of the Little Doctor, and soothed his horse with soft words and a series of little slaps upon the neck. He

the porch; and from it his eyes went to the young woman trying to laugh away her trembling while she scol

boys can tell you. Mother's baby mustn't touch the naught

gave it to him; and the horse of Andy bore mute testimony to the speed with which he had brought it to the ranch. Not until he had reached the coulee had he slackened his p

od blotting out the light from the doorway. Chip looked up, said "Hello" carelessly, and flung an old slic

not as casual as h

e house," he began diffidently. "I gu

grinned Chip. "What's the ma

or there-some hospital. The-Old Man got hurt. One of them

and was hooking at Andy b

h up the team-you'll want to make that 11:20, I take it." He added, as Chip w

caught up, Andy." Chip was alrea

gh the gate and to the stable. He yanked the saddle off, turned the tired animal into a stall, and went on to the corral, where he leaned elbows on a warped rail and peered through at

on the buckskin. "Good chance to make a 'rep' for yourself, Andy. Gawd

dge backward, so that the rope barely flicked him on the nose, and drew in his rope disgust

r, was scant. His face was sober, his w

ired facetiously, moving around so

him!" Happy Jack put in, co

ble. "Boys, the Old Man's-well, he's most likel

ously. "Don't you try that kind of a

off the rail and stood straight. "Dammit, the telegra

fully, fear struggling with the

ence. "Run up to the house and find out, Cadwalloper. The Old Man-oh, good Lord!" The tan on Weary

me Andy Green if he's lied about it," Pi

m for details, and he gave them jerkily. "Automobile run over him. He ain't dead, but they think-Chip and the Little

sing something unusual, came up and heard the news in stunned silence. Andy, forg

yes, which had the radiating crows-feet of age, humor and habitual squinting against sun and wind; the bald spot on his head, the wrinkling shirt-collar that seldom knew a tie, the carpet slippers which were his favorite footgear becau

and-where he knows-" Irish was not accustomed to giving voi

" Weary observed gloomily. "He oughta be home, where f

there in time," Happy Jack predicted, with hi

old, consarn yuh? He's younger right

Doctor tell her to pack up, and 'never mind if she did have sponge all set!' Countess seemed to think h

airs," Slim defended. "What they packin' up for, and where they goin'?"

helor outfit, and with the tenacity of slow minds he held J. G. Whitmore, his beloved "Old Man," as but a degree lower than that mysterious power which made the sun to shine-and, if the

ey did not talk much about the Old Man; indeed, they came no nearer the subject than to ask Weary if he were going to drive the team in to Dry Lake. They did not talk much about anything, for

ecorded and the irons unmade-Patsy lumbered heavily about the room and could not find his dish-cloth when it wa

tomo-beels, yet!" he exclaimed unexpectedly, after a long silenc

round at him, then unders

hat they want of the damned things when t

his fool face can run over folks he ain't good enough to speak to,

out, and Slim followed him, tho

k point out unnecessarily; and Weary, the equable, was guilty of slamming the door so tha

e most part, and let them go without the usual facetious advice to "Be good to yourselves," and the hackneyed admonition to Chip to keep out of jail if he could. There must have been something very wistful in their fa

s soon as I can. Don't think the worst-unless you have to. I don't." She smiled again, and waved her hand hastily because of the Kid's contortions; and, though the smile had tears

out, if yuh don't-and there ain't no use wastin' it-and there's two lemon pies in the brown cupboard, and