The Range Boss

ent increased, for he noted that the girl had faced squarely around toward him, had forgotten her precarious position; her hands were clasped as though she were praying f

the pony. "Well," as the animal whinnied gently at the sound of his voice, "there's

forward toward the mired buckboard and its occupants, the pony unconcernedly, its

the occupants of the buckboard. He had come to help them, but he was not going to proffer his services until h

he buckboard, knowing nothing of his intentions,

p, straight at the girl. She was sitting very erect-as erect as she could in the circumstances, trying hard to r

n an acute angle to get it out. His hands were trembling, whether from the wetting he had received or from doubt as to the rider's intentions, was a question that the rider did not bother with. He loo

ense with formalities and get right down to business. For her seat was uncomfortable, and Aunt Martha and Uncle Jepson were anxious, to say no

d seemed to be really suffering, for the winter's chill had not y

ve had an accident," she informed t

and bowed to her. "Why, I reckon you have, m

arcasm in his voice, and she had to look twice at him to make sure-and the

wly at him. "Why, he's all wet!" he exclaimed. "I expect he come pretty near drownin', didn't he, ma'am?" He looked again at the girl, astonishment

to the right after reaching

d him to say the left,

, and his lips twitched with some inward emotion. "I reckon y

r," denied the girl. The co

s mane to hide his disappointment. Again, so it seemed to the girl

ily: "While you are talking there, my man, I am freezing. Isn't t

er, fixing Masten with a steady eye; "I've bee

his disgust making his voice husky

n looking at Masten which had made her draw a deep breath. She had seen guile in his e

aze was on her with frank curiosity, his lean, strong face glowing with the bloom of health; his mouth was firm, his eyes serene, virility and confidence in every movement of

, "if you reckon you'd care to. Why, yes, I expect that's right; I'd ought t

was small, gray, and sweet of face. He grinned a

now," he added, as Aunt Martha essayed to climb on behind him. "This Patches of mine is considerable cantankerous an' ain

odily and placed sidewise on the saddle in front of him, and in this manner was carried to the bank, far up on the

oin Aunt Martha, Uncle Jepson, who had watched the rider na

t wasn't any stubborne

llect how you c

out of him!" And Uncle Jeps

ncle Jepson down beside Aunt Martha and turned his pony back toward the r

my man, I'll assist Miss Ruth

the saddle, gravely contemplating the drive

horse!" He sat, regarding the Easterner in deep, feigned amazement. "Why, Willard," he said when it seemed he had quite recovered, "Patches would sure go

in her eyes when the rider caught a glimpse of them as he brought his pony to a halt beside her. He might now have made the mistake of referring to Masten and thus have brought from her a quick refusal to accompany him, for he had

y for you n

f on the edge of the buckboard. He flashed a pleased grin at her, noting with a quickening pulse the deep, ric

Aunt Martha. If he held her to him a little more tightly than he had held Aunt Martha the wind might have been to blame, for

was no further danger that she would refuse to rid

lady, ma'am," he said quietly, into

nd his chin was higher than the top of her head. Bu

lied to

see, I didn't want to let Patches get

the mud now!" she declared

e said gleefully; "I rec

lood tingling, and there was an unnamable yearning in his breast to be near her. He had passed hours in looking upon her picture, dreaming of this minu

talking with her relatives, but she did not need to face him to arouse his worship. "Didn't I know she wa

devil sported in his eye as he wheeled his

ers, or she wouldn't have stood for me rescuin' her when he offered himself that generous." The recollection convulsed him, and he bowed

r fool head off!" shouted the Easterner. "I've got some dry clothing in my tru

in your trunk on the buckboard, an' you can't get 'em. An' you're freezin' an' I'm laughin' at you. You've got a heap of t

ase?" said the girl's vo

me vitriolic things to Masten, having almost lost patience

oin' to hur

lking along the wagon tongue, which was slightly out of the water, he again reached into the water and fumbled with the harness. Then he stepped back, slapped th

around the center of the rear axle. Then he wheeled his pony until it faced away from the buckboard, rode the length of the rope carefully, halted w

gently asked Uncle Jepson to hold the blacks, for fear they might stray, and then with a smile at the girl and Aunt Martha, he returned to the buckboard. There he uncoiled his rope again and attache

he urged the pony on again. The buckboard traveled its length-then lurched into a rut and

in the saddle and scratch

aid. He scrutinized the slopes. "I expect we'll

the first place," loudly criticized Masten. "If you had hitched the

t the fault-finder

et wet! Well, shucks. I reckon there ain't nothin' to do now but to get the blacks an' hitch 'em onto the wagon. There's a heap of mud there, of

one day. I have no doubt that you can get the wagon out, by y

feet in advance of the wagon. Standing there, he looked across the mud at the gi

e, thus getting Masten between the rope and the mud. He pulled the rope taut again, swinging wagon tongue and wheels at a sharp angle toward him, drove the spurs into the flanks of the po

that he was determined to achieve a double result, and she cried out to Masten. The warning came too late. The taut rope, making its wide swing, struck Masten in the sma

Then, swinging it sideways so that it would not roll back into the mud, he turned

She had punished him for his jealousy, she had taken her part in mildly ridiculing him. But it was plain to the rider when he turned and saw her face, that she resented

said. "But that-that despicable trick-" Her self-control des

an excuse. And then out of the tail of his eye he saw Uncle Jepson winking violent applause at him, and a broad grin suffuse

I was feelin' a bit wild right at that minute, an'-" His gaze went to Masten, who was scraping mud fr

voice freighted with awe. And then, as Masten shook a threatening fist at him,

ead. He saw Masten coming toward him, clawing at the foolish holster

d the piebald pony, his muscles and thews alive with energy in an instant, l

n, the rider's eyes were steady, blue, and so cold that they made Masten forget the chill in the air. And one of the heavy pistols that the rider carried was clo

s deal. You're grumblin' an' whinin' ever since I set eyes on you from the edge of the mesa, there. That little girl thinks you're all wool an' a yard wide. You come across, clean-you hear me! Y

Masten's face was ashe

ike you'd just discovered that I'm your rich uncle come from Frisco with a platter full o

iced for the rider. He sat erect, his six-shooter disappearing magically, an

oin' to be cross to each other no more. I reckon you c'n

sten, but because of the mud on

to think that anyone who had been so accommodating as you could be so mean as to deliberately

pony through the mud and brought it to a halt beside her. "

marveling at it, for the glove on it could not conceal its shapeliness or i

'll be seein' you ag'in some ti

sure I

urned away. Her

s been so kind to

e roots of his ha

was christened 'King.' But a while ago a dago professor who stayed overnight at the Diamond H tipped the boys off that 'King' was Rex in Latin l

is eyes. "But I am sure the boys make a mistake in spelling your name. Judging fro

o you, ma'a

e Jepson's eyes; it turned to a grin of derision as he looked

he steeper slope to the mesa. They saw him halt when he reached the mesa, saw him wave his hat to them. But they