y was
weakening, and the result was doubtful, when, suddenly, the horse gave
up and stampeded. He crashed through the trellis over which Mr. Cone had
carefully trained his crimson ramblers, tore through a neat border of
mignonette and sweet alyssum that edged the driveway, jumped through
"snowballs," lilacs, syringas, and rhododendrons to come to a halt
finally conquered and chastened.

The "88" brand has produced a strain famous throughout Wyoming for its
buckers, and this venerable outlaw lived up to every tradition of his
youth and breeding.

There never was worse bucking nor better riding in a Wild West Show or
out of it, and Mr. Appel declared that he had not been so stirred since
the occasion when walking in the woods at Harvey's Lake in the early
'90's he had acted upon the unsound presumption that all are kittens
that look like kittens and disputed the path with a black-and-white
animal which proved not to be.

Mrs. C. D. Budlong was shedding tears like a crocodile, without moving a
feature. Mr. Budlong put the lighted end of a cigar in his mouth and
burned his tongue to a blister, while Miss Eyester dropped into a chair
and had her sinking spell and recovered without any one remarking it. In
an abandonment that was like the delirium of madness Mr. Cone went in
and lifted Miss Gaskett's cat "Cutie" out of the plush rocker, where she
was leaving hairs on the cushion, and surreptitiously kicked her.

Altogether it was an unforgettable occasion, and only Pinkey seemed
unthrilled by it--he dismounted in a businesslike, matter-of-fact manner
that had in it neither malice toward the horse nor elation at having
ridden him. He felt admiration, if anything, for he said as he rubbed
the horse's forehead:

"You shore made me ride, Old Timer! You got all the old curves and some
new ones. If I had a hat I'd take it off to you. I ain't had such a
churnin' sence I set 'Steamboat' fer fifteen seconds. Oh, hullo----" as
Wallie advanced with his hand out.

"I congratulate you," said Wallie, feeling himself magnanimous in view
of the way his neck was hurting.

"You needn't," replied Pinkey, good-naturedly. "He durned near 'got'
me."

"It was a very creditable ride indeed," insisted Wallie, in his most
patronizing and priggish manner. He found it very hard to be generous,
with Helene Spenceley listening.

"It seemed so, after _your_ performance, 'Gentle Annie'!" snapped Miss
Spenceley.

Actually the woman seemed to sp