The Flying U Ranch

after it. They had not discussed the impending tragedy very much, but they were an exceedingly Unhappy Family, nevertheless; and, since Flying U coulee was b

a message, brief

ll alive.

ly became cast for the leading parts in one of those dramas of the West which never is heard of outside the theater in which grim circumstance stages it for a single playing-unless, indee

onse to their careless greeting, and tittered openly at the resplendence of the Native Son, who was wearing his black Angora chaps with the three white diamonds down each leg, the gay horsehair hatband, crimson neckerchief and Mexican spurs with their immense rowels and ornate conchos of hand

y of a time when they had purloined the Little Doctor's pills and had made re

rd one of the family. "We're going away; on the train. The next one that comes a

ces of the Countess, and therefore claimed more than a cursory interest from Slim. "You take this up to the store and see if yuh can

bought our ranch and gave him a lot of money. We're rich now. Maybe paw'll buy us a phony-graf

caught the boys grinning, and fancied that they were tracing a likeness between the garrulity of Sybilly

n went strutting off to the store to spend the dollar which little Sary clutched so tigh

ly "setting 'em up to the house," Cal repeated the que

his unaccustomed affluence, became noticeably embarrass

Man's hurt back East. Mary was real put out at not bein' able to see Louise 'fore she went away"-Louise being the Countess' and Mary Denson's sister-"but soon as I sold I got oneasy like. The feller wanted p'session right away, too, so I told Mary we might as well start b'fore we git

t at first was smothered to death beneath that blanket of words, and he eagerly followed the boys out and ove

the street, "that Denson bunch can sure talk the fastest

got much; his land's mostly gravel and 'doby patches. He's got a water right on Flying U creek, you know-first right, at that

nch uh hisn was worth a dollar an inch, by golly. I don't b'lieve he's been wantin' to sell out. If he had,

elling all she knows," Cal assented with some sarcas

ulee was deserted by all save old Patsy, and that there were chores to be done, if all the creatures of the coulee would sleep in comfort that night. Pink, therefore, withdrew his challenge to the bunch, and laid his billiard cue down with a sigh and

ht not cone amiss. Therefore the Happy Family mounted and rode to the depot to send it, an

, at this end uh the line," Cal sug

a-aa, Ma-a-aaa,' darn yuh," he shouted derisively, at the peering, plaintive faces, glimpsed between the close-set bars. "Mamma, how I do lov

snorted stertorously, and suffocating puffs of coal smoke now and then invaded the waiting-room while the Happy Family were sending that

good care of the Old Man.

ed simply "

emarked carelessly when they went out. "Enough lambs for al

ed, and turned his face aw

ces averted and looks of disdain; cowmen, all of them, the

lly bodies, whose voices were ever raised in strident complaint; and the stench of them smote the unaccustomed nostr

eep, by cripes, do you know what I'd do? I'd haze 'em into a coulee and turn loose with a good rifle and plenty uh shells, and call in the coyotes to git a square meal. That's the way I'd her

tes?" asked Andy Green pointedly, and so prec