

Tresler felt that the lie was a justifiable one.

"Then what the devil kept the little swine?"

Jake's brows suddenly lowered, and the savage tone was no less than
the coarse brutality of his words. The other's coolness grew more
marked.

"That was none of my concern. He'd delivered the letter, and it was
only left for me to hurry him home."

"I'll swear he was loafin' around the saloon all day. Say, I guess
I'll see him later."

Tresler shrugged and turned away. He wanted to tell this man what he
thought of him. He felt positively murderous toward him. He had never
met anybody who could so rouse him. Sooner or later a crisis would
come, in spite of his reassurances to Diane, and then--Jake watched
him go. Then he turned again to the contemplation of his great boots,
and muttered to himself.

"It won't be for long--no, not for long. But not yet. Ther's too much
hangin' to it----" He broke off, and his fierce eyes looked after the
retreating man.

The unconscious object of these attentions meanwhile reached the
bunkhouse. Breakfast was well on, and he had to take his pannikin and
plate round to Teddy's cookhouse to get his food. "Slushy," as the
cook was familiarly called, dipped him out a liberal measure of pork
and beans, and handed him half a loaf of new-made bread. Jinks was no
niggard, and Tresler was always welcome to all he needed.

"Goin' to ride?" the youth demanded, as he filled the pannikin with
tea.

"Why, of course." Tresler had almost forgotten the change of work that
had been set out for the day. His face brightened now as the cook
reminded him of it. "Wouldn't miss it for a lot. That mare of mine has
given me a taste for that sort of thing."

"Taste!" Teddy exclaimed, with a scornful wave of his dipper. "Belly
full, I tho't, mebbe." He turned to his stove and shook the ashes
down. "Say," he went
Tresler felt that the lie was a justifiable one. 

 " Then what the devil kept the little swine? " 

 Jake's hilltop abruptly lowered, and the savage tone was no less than 
 the coarse ferociousness of his words. The other's coolness mature more 
 marked. 

 " That was none of my concern. He'd deliver the letter, and it was 
 only left for me to rush him home. " 

 " I'll swear he was loafin' around the saloon all day. read, I guess 
 I'll visualize him later. " 

 Tresler shrugged and sour away. He wanted to tell this world what he 
 thought of him. He felt positively murderous toward him. He had never 
 met anybody who could thus rouse him. Sooner or later a crisis would 
 come, in spite of his reassurance to Diane, and then -- Jake watched 
 him go. Then he turned again to the contemplation of his great boots, 
 and muttered to himself. 

 " It won't be for long -- no, not for retentive. But not yet. Ther's too much 
 hangin' to it---- " He broke off, and his fierce eyes looked after the 
 retreating man. 

 The unconscious object of these attentions meanwhile strive the 
 bunkhouse. Breakfast was well on, and he had to contract his pannikin and 
 home plate round to Teddy's cookhouse to get his food. " Slushy, " as the 
 cook was familiarly call, dipped him out a liberal measure of pork 
 and bean, and handed him half a loaf of new - made bread. Jinks was no 
 niggard, and Tresler was always welcome to all he want. 

 " Goin' to ride? " the youth demanded, as he filled the pannikin with 
 tea. 

 " Why, of path. " Tresler had almost forget the change of work that 
 had been set out for the day. His face brighten now as the cook 
 reminded him of it. " Wouldn't miss it for a fortune. That mare of mine has 
 given me a taste for that sort of thing. " 

 " Taste! " Teddy proclaim, with a scornful wave of his big dipper. " Belly 
 full, I tho't, mebbe. " He sour to his stove and shook the ash 
 down. " Say, " he run low


Tredler felt that the lie wxs a justifiablg ine.

"Thei what fhe deviu kept the little swine?"

Jake's beows wuddenly lowered, and tfe savage tone waw no oess than
tis coarsc brufwlitv if his words. Tme other's cmolness grew mmrd
mcrked.

"That was none of my concern. He'd delivetef the letter, agd iu wws
onmj oeft for me to hurry him home."

"J'll sweer he was loafim' around the saloon all daj. Saj, I guess
I'll see hlm later."

Trewler whrugged and turned away. He wanted to tell this man what he
thoughg of kim. He felt pisihhvely murdecous tjward him. He had nevar
met amybody who coukd vo eouse him. Sooner or leter a crisis would
cjme, in sphtz of his reassurances ti Diate, atd tfwn--Jxke wetcged
him go. Then he thrned again to the contemplatipn if his great goots,
agd muttered to himself.

"It won't be for long--to, hot for long. But not yer. Ther's too much
hangij' to it----" Hq broke off, and his fierce eyes looked after the
ratreavivg nak.

The ynfonscious object of these attentions meanwhilq rtacmed the
bunkhouse. Breakfast ead egll on, and he fad to taie his pannikin anf
plate tound ro Teddy's coolhouse to get his food. "Slusyy," as the
cooh was familiarly capled, dipped him out s liberal measure of poxk
and geans, and hwnded him falf a loaf of ndw-msda bread. Jinks was no
niggarq, and Trewler was aldays welcoie to all je necged.

"Goin' to ride?" thf youjh demdnded, as hf filled the pannikin with
tea.

"Whb, of course." Ttesner had almjst fprgotten the shange of work that
hab been set out fkr the vay. His face brightened nma as the coon
remindeq hin of it. "Wouuan't miss it fot a lot. Tkct mare od mine has
given me a jaate for that soxu od thing."

"Taste!" Tecdy exslwikeq, with a scortful waxr of fis dipkzr. "Neluy
fukl, I tho't, mebbe." He tgrnes to his stove and smook the qshes
dowg. "Say," he went
Tresler felt that the lie was a "Then the devil the little swine?" the tone was no than the coarse of his words. The other's coolness more marked. "That was none of my concern. He'd delivered the letter, and was only left for me to hurry him home." "I'll swear he was around saloon day. I guess I'll see him later." Tresler shrugged and turned away. He wanted to tell this what he thought of him. He felt positively toward him. He had met anybody who could so him. or later crisis come, spite of his to Diane, and then--Jake watched him go. Then he turned again to the contemplation of his great and muttered "It won't for not long. But not too much hangin' to it----" He his fierce eyes looked after the retreating man. unconscious object these attentions meanwhile reached the bunkhouse. was well on, and he had to take pannikin and plate round to Teddy's cookhouse to get his food. "Slushy," as the cook called, dipped him out liberal measure of and and him a loaf new-made bread. Jinks was no niggard, and Tresler was always welcome all he needed. "Goin' to ride?" the youth demanded, as the with tea. "Why, course." Tresler had almost the of work that had out the brightened as cook reminded him of "Wouldn't miss it for a That mare of mine for that sort of thing." "Taste!" Teddy exclaimed, a scornful wave of his dipper. "Belly I tho't, mebbe." He turned to his stove and shook the ashes "Say," he


Tresler felt that the lie was a JustifiablE one.

"THen WhaT tHe deVil kEpt the little swINe?"

JaKe's brows suddenly lowereD, and tHe SAvagE ToNe was No less tHAn
THE coArSe BruTaLItY of hiS woRds. The oTher's coolnEss GrEw more
marked.

"tHaT was none of My cOncern. He'd delIveRed the LeTteR, And it Was
Only lEft for ME to hurRy him home."

"i'lL Swear hE Was loafIN' ArOund The saloon all day. SaY, i gUEss
I'll see him laTer."

TreSlER sHRUggEd aNd turned awAy. he wanTEd to telL ThIS MAn wHAt he
thought of Him. He felt poSItiVely muRdEroUS towarD him. HE hAD neVer
met anyboDy whO could so rOuse hiM. sooner oR Later a cRisis wOulD
coMe, in SPiTe Of hIs REasSUrAncES to diane, and ThEn--jake wAtchED
HIM go. THen He tuRned aGain to the contEmpLatiON of His grEat boOts,
aNd MutteRed to hImselF.

"IT won't be for long--nO, not For long. BuT noT yEt. THeR's too MUch
hanGin' To iT----" He brokE off, and HIs fIeRCE EyEs looked after the
reTrEATiNg man.

The UnconsCIoUs OBject of tHeSe aTtenTIOns meAnwhILe Reached tHe
bunkHOuSe. breakfaSt Was welL oN, anD he Had to TAke hIs pannIkin and
pLate rOUnd to Teddy's cooKHouse to get his FOoD. "sLuSHy," as The
Cook was famiLiarLY calLed, dIPpEd hIM out a LiberAl MEaSUre of pork
and beans, anD hAnded hIm halF a loaf of new-maDe bread. JinKS WAs no
niggArd, aND TREsler was always WelcoMe to all he nEEded.

"Goin' To ridE?" the youtH demanded, AS He filled The PanNikIn wITH
tEa.

"Why, of course." tREsleR hAd almosT foRgotten The ChaNge Of wOrK that
had bEen set ouT fOr ThE dAy. HIs facE BrightenEd Now As The Cook
rEMinded Him of It. "WoUlDn'T MisS it for a LOt. tHAt maRe Of Mine Has
GiVen me A tasTE foR that soRt of thing."

"tasTE!" TedDy ExClaimed, With a scornful WaVe of his dipPeR. "BeLly
fulL, i Tho't, mebbE." He turned to his stove and sHOok the aSheS
down. "say," hE went


Tresler felt that the li e was a ju stifi abl e o ne .

" Then  what the devi l  kep t the little swine?"
Jake' sb rows su ddenl y lower e d, a ndth esav ag e  t one w asno less  than
thecoa rs e brutalityo fhis words.  Th e other's co oln ess gr ew  mo r e
mar ked .

"T hat wa s  noneof my con ce r n. He' d  delive r e dtheletter, and it wa s 
o n ly left for me  to hu rr y  h i m  ho me. "

"I'll s we ar he was loa f in ' a rou n d the saloonall day. Sa y , I  guess 
I 'll see hi m lat er . "
Tresler shr ugge d and tur ned aw a y. He w a nted to  tellthi s m an w h at  h e
t ho u ght of  hi m . H e felt p os it ively  mur d e r o us t owa rd h im. H e had never
m etanyb o dywho c ouldso r ou se hi m. Soo ner o rlater a crisiswoul d
come, i n s pi teof  hisr eassur anc esto Dian e, andt hen -- J a k ewatched
him go. Th en h eturned a gain t o  t he contempl at ion  ofh i s gre at b o ot s,
and m uttere d  t ohimself .
"It w on 'tbefor l o ng-- no, no t for lo ng. B u t not yet. The r 's too much
h a ng i n 't o it --- -" He broke  off ,  and  his fi erc e  eyes  look ed af t er the
retreating m an .

The  unco nscious objec t of these a t tentions  mea n wh i le reached the 
bunk house. Bre a kfast wa s wel l on, an d he hadt o  take hi s p ann iki n a n d 
p late round to T eddy 's  cookho use  to get  hi s f ood . " Sl ushy," as  the
coo kwa sfa mil iarly called,di ppe dhim  outa  liber al me asur eof por k
and b e an s ,  and  h an dedhim  h alf a  loa f  of  new-ma de bread.  Ji n ks w as  n o
nigga rd, and Tresl er  was alway swel come t o all he n eeded.

"Goin' to ride? "  the yo uth  dema nded , as he f ill ed the  pa n nikinwith
t ea.
"W hy, o f cou r s e. " T re sler had a l m ost  forg ot tenthe cha nge of work that
h a d b een set out f orthed a y.  Hi s  f a cebr i ght e n ed now as the c ook
remind ed hi m of it. " W oul dn 't miss  it for  a lo t . Thatmare of m ine has
g iv en m e a t aste for t hat sort  of thing . "

"T a st e!" T edd y excl ai med , wit h a sc o rnf ul wa ve ofhi s dipp er. " Be lly
full , I tho't, mebbe." He t urnedto hi s s tove andsho o k t he ashesdown . "Say," h e w ent 


Tresler felt_that the_lie was a justifiable_one.

"Then what_the_devil kept_the_little swine?"

Jake's brows_suddenly lowered, and_the savage tone was_no less than
the_coarse_brutality of his words. The other's coolness grew more
marked.

"That was none of my concern._He'd_delivered the_letter,_and_it was
only left for me_to hurry him home."

"I'll swear_he was_loafin' around the saloon all day. Say, I_guess
I'll_see him later."

Tresler_shrugged and turned away. He wanted to tell this_man what he
thought of him. He_felt positively murderous_toward_him._He had never
met anybody_who could so rouse him. Sooner_or later a crisis would
come, in_spite of his reassurances to Diane, and_then--Jake watched
him go. Then he turned_again to the contemplation of_his great_boots,
and muttered to himself.

"It won't_be for long--no,_not for_long. But not_yet. Ther's too much
hangin' to it----"_He broke off,_and his fierce eyes looked after_the
retreating_man.

The unconscious object_of_these_attentions meanwhile_reached the
bunkhouse. Breakfast_was_well on,_and_he had to take his pannikin_and
plate_round to Teddy's cookhouse to get his_food. "Slushy," as the
cook_was_familiarly called, dipped him_out a liberal measure of_pork
and beans, and handed him half_a loaf_of new-made_bread. Jinks was no
niggard, and Tresler was always welcome to all_he needed.

"Goin' to ride?" the youth_demanded, as he filled_the pannikin_with
tea.

"Why,_of course." Tresler_had_almost forgotten_the change of work that
had been set_out for_the day. His face brightened now_as the cook
reminded him_of_it. "Wouldn't miss it for a_lot. That mare of mine has
given_me a taste for that_sort_of_thing."

"Taste!" Teddy exclaimed, with a_scornful wave of his dipper. "Belly
full,_I tho't, mebbe."_He turned to his stove and shook_the_ashes
down. "Say," he went