urly hair," she added, and closed her eyes again.

The family watched her hopelessly, for to them the doctor's silence had
only one meaning; but the cattleman, standing behind the eldest
brother, could not bear the wordless waiting. He felt that if she would
rouse and continue to speak, death would be delayed. So he called to her
pleadingly.

"Little gal!" he said huskily; "little gal!" She stirred wearily, and
her lids fluttered as if she were striving to lift them. "Little gal,"
he went on; "I want ye t' fight this out. Don't ye let no ol' typhoid
git _you_. An' when ye git well, ye jus' come to see me, an' ye kin hev
anything on th' whole ranch." She turned her face toward him. "Anything
on th' whole ranch," he repeated, his voice breaking. She moved one hand
till it found one of her mother's, then she lay very still.

The biggest brother dropped to his knees beside the bed and crouched
there. The youngest brother began to weep, leaning against the eldest.
The neighbor woman crept away toward the kitchen, her face buried in her
apron. The cattleman turned his back. The mother clung prayerfully to
the transparent hand. And so passed a long and despairing five minutes.

But at its end the doctor uttered an ejaculation of surprise and
pleasure, and sprang to his feet. At the same time he raised a warning
finger and motioned all toward the kitchen. They obeyed him and
retreated, remaining together in troubled impatience until he came among
them.

"I can't be absolutely certain," he said, his face alight with
happiness, "but I believe you can all go to bed with safety. Things seem
to have turned our way: her skin is soft and moist, her temperature is
down, and, better than anything else, she's asleep."

As a full realization of the good news broke upon them, all save the
biggest brother sat down to talk it gratefully over. But he dashed out
of doors to voice his joy, and, as he bounded up and down the yard, half
laughing and half crying, he caught up a muffled figure that was lurking
in the rear of the kitchen and swung it high into the air.

* * * * *

DURING the weeks that followed, while the little girl was slowly
fighting her way back to a sure hold on life, there often came into her
mind, vaguely at first and then more clearly, the promise that the
cattleman had made her the night they thought she was dying. "Ye kin hev
anything on th' whole ranch," had been his exact words; and