as
he laughed hollowly. "Why, I could show her a barrel of eagles' nests! I
know whur there's a coyote den with pups in it! I know whur there's a
petrified tree and oceans of Injun arrer heads, if she'd jest waited.
But if anybody thinks I'm goin' to melt my boot-heels down taggin' a
worman, they're mistaken!" Pinkey stamped off to the bunk-house and
slammed the door behind him.

"Where's Pinkey?" The question was general when it was observed that his
chair was vacant at dinner.

"Still reposing, I imagine," Wallie answered, humorously.

Mrs. Budlong commented:

"A night ride like that must be very fatiguing."

"Oh, very." Wallie winked at himself figuratively, thinking that the 99
per cent. alcoholic content of one of Mr. Tucker's bottles undoubtedly
accounted for his weariness.

"You are sure he's not ill?" inquired Miss Eyester. She had not enjoyed
her revenge upon Pinkey, for going away without telling her, as much as
she had anticipated; besides, the eagle's nest turned out to be a crows'
nest with no birds in it, and that was disappointing.

Mr. Hicks, who frequently joined in the conversation when anything
interested him, snorted from the kitchen doorway:

"Ill? You couldn't make him 'ill' with a club with nails in it--that
feller."

"Oh, how dread-ful!" Aunt Lizzie clasped her hands, and looked at the
brutal cook reprovingly.

"Perhaps one of us had better awaken him," Miss Eyester suggested. "He
should eat something."

"Hor! Hor! Hor!" Mr. Hicks laughed raucously. "Maybe he don't feel like
eating. Let him alone and he'll come out of it."

Miss Eyester resented the aspersion the meaning of which was now plain
to everybody, and said with dignity, rising:

"If no one else will call him, I shall."

"Rum has been the curse of the nation," observed Mr. Budlong to whom
even a thimbleful gave a headache.

"I wish I had a barrel of it," growled old Mr. Penrose. "When I get home
I'm going to get me a worm and make moonshine."

"Oh, how dread-ful!"

"'Tain't," Mr. Penrose contradicted Aunt Lizzie, curtly.

"'Tis!" retorted Aunt Lizzie.

They glared at each other balefully, and while everybody waited to hear
if she could think of anything else to say to him, Miss Eyester returned
panting:

"The door's locked and there's a towel pinned over the window."

"No!" They exclaimed in chorus, and looked at Wallie. "Do you suppose
any thing's happened?"

"He locked the door because he does not want to