The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1923-05-05

We're rushing ron OF. I'm sorry to
say: but we must hustle back to the
ranch. The fall roundup begins to-
morrow. You viii ride In the buck
board with Florence and Stllwell. Til
ride on ahead with the boys and fix
up q little for you at the ranch. It's
a long ride out-neariy fifty miles by
wagon-road. Flo. don't forget couple
Of robes. Wrap her up well. And
hustle. getting ready. We're waiting"
A little later. when Madeline went
out with Florence. the gray gloom was
Tightening. Horses were champing bits
and pounding gravel.
'Mawnin', Miss Majesty" said Still.
well. gruffiy. from the front seat OF q
high vehicle.
Alfred bundled her up into the back
seat, and Florence after her, and
wrapped them with robes. Then he
mounted his horse and started OF.
As Madeline gazed about her and
listened to, her companions, the sun
rose higher and grew warm and scared
and grew hot; the horses held tire
lessly to their steady trot, and mile
after mile Of rolling land slipped by.
From the top Of ridge Madeline
saw down into hollow where a few
of the cowboys had stopped and were
sitting round q fire, evidently busy at
the MONDAY meal. Their horses were
feeding on the long gray grass. :.
+ "Wal, smell of tibet burnin' grease.
wood makes my mouth water" said
Stillwell. "Tm sure hungry. Wen
noon hyar-an' let the hesses rest.s It's
long pull to the ranch" =
During lunch-time Madeline observed
that she was an object Of rnanifestly
great Interest to the three cowboys,
She returned the compliment, and was
amused to see that glance their way
caused them painful embarrassment
They were grown men-one Of whom
had white |hair-yet they acted like
boys caught In the act Of stealing q
forbidden look at a pretty girl.
Cowboys are sure all flirtsD said
Florence, as IL stating an uninteresting
fact. But Madeline detected merry
twinkle in her clear eyes. The cow
boys heard, and the effect upon them
was magical. They fell to shamed
confusion and to hurried useless tasks
"Haw, haw !" roared StilIwell. Flor.
ence, you jest hit the nail on the haid
Cowboys are all plumb flirts. 1 was
wonderin' why them boys nooned hyar
OF MI f0 I'm IN
grain or wood with burnin' or nuth'
in. Them boys jest held up, throwed
the packs an waited fer us. It ain't
so surprisin' fer Body an Ned
they're young an cOltish-but Nels
there, why, he's old enough to be the
paw Of both you girls. 1t sure Is amaz'
in strange"
A silence ensued. The white-haired
cowboy, Nels, fused aimlessly over
the campfire, and then Strengthened up
with q very red face.
"Bill, you're dog-gone liar" he
said. II reckon won't stand to be
classed with Body an Ned. There
amt no cowboy on this range thet's
more appreciatin' of the ladies than
me, but I shore amt ridin' out Of my
way. Ireckon I hev enough ridin' to
do. Now, Bill, IL you've SIGH dog-gone
good eyes mebbe you seen somethin'
on the way out?"
"Nels, hewitt seen nothin'." he re.
piled, blunt1y. ,.~ss
Jest take squint at these boss
tracks, said Nels,, and he drew Still.
well a few PAGES aside and pointed to
large footprints in the dust. II reckon
you know the boss tibet made them?"
Scene Stewards roam, or I'm q son.
of-a-gun!" exclaimed Stillwell, and he
dropped heavily to his knees and began
to scrutinize the tracks. Nels, who
ever was straddlin' Stewards boss met
somebody. An they hauled up bit,
but didn't git down."
'Tolerable good for you, Bill, tibet
reasonin'," replied the cowboy. 81
reckon you know what boss made the
other tracksT'
"I'm thinkin' hard, but amt sure"
"It was Danny Mains bronc."
"How do you know thet?" demanded
Stillwell, sharply.
"Bill, the left front foot Of tibet little
boss always wears shoe tibet sets
crooked. Any Of the boys can tell you.
I'd know tibet track If I was blind"
"Nels, you don't think the boys
sloped with tibet little hussy, Bonita p
"Bill, he shore was sweet on Bonita
same as Gene was, an Ed Linton be.
fore he got engaged, an all the boys
She's shore ehain-lightnin', that little
black-eyed devil. Danny might hev
sloped with her all right. Danny was
held up on the way to town, an then
in the shame Of 1t he got drunk. But
he'll show up soop."
@Wal, mebbe you an the boys are
right. believe you are. Nels. there
amt no doubt On earth about who was
ridin' Stewards hoss1' ~ i
"Thet's as plain as the hoss tracks y
'Wal, It's all amazin' strange It
beats me. I wish the boys would ease
up on drinkin'. was pretty fond of
Danny an. Gene. TIM afraid Genes
done fer, sure. II he crosses the Dor
der where he can fight It won't take
long fer him to get plugged. 1 guess
TIM gettin' old. 7 don't stand things
like I used to."
"Bill, I reckon I'd better hit the Pei
oncillo trail. Mebbe can find Danny"
II reckon you had, Nels." replied
Stfllyell. ''But don't take more'n q
couple Of days. We can't do much on
the roundup without you. Pm short
-