minit in ther cities; then went out and handin' Nora the letter ez I bid
her good-bye, told her it war a real love letter, shore nuff, which she
must not read till I war out o' sight; thet she might give me ther answer
when I cum back, and then I started straight for England.

"I kep thinkin' all thet day, it war sich a girl as thet who after awhile
become the mother of Pat Cleburne or may be Phil Sheridan."

A moment later he looked up and said:

"But I wanted ter see yo', Jim, to tell yo' all the boys remember yo',
and all allow yo' were the dol-durndest tenderfoot thet ever crossed a
hoss or fired a rope or a gun."

"Where can we find a quiet place, Jordan?" Sedgwick asked.

"I know a boss ranch," said Jordan, "whar we can have a private room and
talk all we wanter, only a few steps away."

They found it a drinking house with private rooms in the rear.

When seated there, Sedgwick soon learned that Jordan had sold everything
in Texas--stock and land--and had converted all into money in bank--some
$35,000--and was, to use his own words, "makin' a tower."

"But how came yo' here, Jim?" asked Jordan.

Then Sedgwick told him of his life since the day he left Texas; how he
formed a friendship for Browning; how the deal in stocks originated, and
how it resulted.

The Texan went into raptures. "Yo' don't tell me?" he said: "Half a
milliun! dod rot it, but thet's good; thet's immense! how it would
tickle ther boys out thar to know it! And yo' give the ole man a cool
$100,000? What did they think of yo' then? Har, waiter, give us a quart
of y'r--whatyer call it? O, yes, Widder Clicko (Cliquot); durned if
we don't sellerbrate."

They drank their wine, lighted their cigars, and settled down for a talk.

All the old times in Texas had been discussed when Sedgwick said:
"Jordan, I thought you were prosperous and happy, and much loved by all
who knew you in Texas. What possessed you to sell out and leave?"

"I war prosperous," said Jordan, "doin' fust-class; war contented, and I
don't believe I hed a enemy in the hull State.

"I hed ther ranch, ther cattle, ther mustangs; didn't owe a dollar, and
hed money in ther bank. I hed been doin' right pert, and the property war
a-raisin' every day. Do yo' know the blamed igiots was a-talkin' o'
sendin' me to ther Legislature. But after awhile something happened. A
lot o' ther boys cum in one day and said: 'Jordan, it's a blasted shame
the way the childer is growin' up yere