The herald., 1893-12-03
: THE TABLES TURNED

"A durn dudei'' snorted Joe Daley
( contemptuously.
That was the general verdict from
all the boys when Phil Ames made his
appearance among them at Middleton s
ranch.
Della Middleton had returned home
from the city, and Phil had come with
1 her to the ranch, where her father well
coined him as the son of one of his
friends and companions of other days.
1t was soon whispered also that Phil
was suitor for Della's hand, and that
alone was sufficient for him to be watch
ed closely and criticised by the cow
boys, who, every one of them, were
.sready to swear by and to do anything
In their power to please the queen of
the ranch, Miss Della Middleton.
Phil Ames, at first glance, looked
rather effeminate, but upon closer OBJ
servation he proved to be quite other
wise. There was not surplus ounce
Of flesh about him anywhere, and his
frame was well knit and strong More
over, Phil was a. pleasant, easy going
fellow whom nothing seemed to disturb,
and whose temper was the sunniest in
the world.
Therefore a couple of weeks at the
ranch was sufficient for Phil to gain
the good will of everybody around the
place Even Joe Daley, the most crit
ical among them all, had to admit that
he was not half so bad as he looked and
might improve into right good fell
low if he staid at the ranch long enough.
In the rough play among the cowboys
Phil held his own easily and often turn
ed their rude jokes 80 that they lost
their sting, or fastened the laugh on
him who had expected to see Phil made
ridiculous.
= Joe Daley considered himself the
leader among the boys on the ranch,
and they seldom ventured to differ with
him in his opinions, which he never
failed to express with all the decision
and emphasis he could master.
10 One evening after Phil had been at
the ranch nearly a month Mr.. Middle
ton came into the house where he and
Della were together.
II have to send squad of the boys
over to Bald prairie tomorrow, and
don t know where in thunder I'm going
to find a cook to go with them" he
,. said.
"What is the matter with Edmunds,
papa?" asked Della.
He is down with the chills, and that
puts him out of the question. There is
i. Andrews, too, gone off to town and
won't be back for week" said Mr..
Middleton.
y, Cant you get one of the others to
cook?" asked Della.
why, there isn't one of them can
make biscuit that wouldn't choke a
dog ;"
Suppose you send Dinah and my
self with them? We could manage,
reckon, said Della, laughing.
but what would become of US who
have to stay at home?"
do your own cooking or starve,
. laughed Della.
"I'm afraid it would be the latter
most Of the time, said Mr.. Middleton.
NO, I've cooked for camping outfit
before now, and If the worst comes to
the worst can do it again, only / can
hardly spare the time. -
"I'll go and cook for them, Mr.. Mid
: dleton, said Phil. Il suppose it is
only coffee, bacon, biscuits and batch
Of cornbread occasionally"
ri "You cook!' exclaimed Mr.. Middle
ton. WHY, my boy, they'd mob you
at the first meal"
4 why do You think so?'
Your cookery would drive them to
H. It. They would have to do it in self
n defense, you l1now-kill you or starve
10 death themselves. -
= They would have to do neither, l
assure you, protested Phil, laughing.
''I am better cook than you think. l
r hope you have not forgotten that staid
in tho mountains of Colorado nearly the
whole of last year? l did the most of
the cooking for the three of us there.
and, il | say it myself, there was no
. one ever turned up his nose at what
placed on the table. J."
Fer awhile there was a lively discus
sion about Phil going as cook with the
cowboys, but he finally gained the con-
sent from both Mr.. Middleton and Del
la, and it was decided that he could
go, provided he would not blame them
y II anything went wrong. The next
) day therefore he drove away in the
wagon containing the raw materials on
which he was to display his art as a
first class cook for cowboy camp.
If Phil comes out on top in this es
capade, laughed lar. Middleton, look
Ing at Della, 4" shall have no objection
to him as a son-in-law."
He'll do it, papa" said Della,
blushing prettily.
/, The cowboys had struck camp and
pitched their tents at the first branding
peu
(, They had eaten the first supper Phil
had cooked for them, and they had en-