ion the totally unexpected happened.
They dismounted and she went into the lunch room. Her victim pursued
an examination of Dick's leg. An early supper was being served in the
dining-room to a freight train crew. Two of the Doubleday cowboys from
the ranch came into the lunch-room from the front door. Kate, at the
desk, was making ready to manage her own escape from the scene. The
smaller cowboy, walking in last, looked back curiously at her riding
companion as he stood with Dick's hoof on his knee. The man slouched
up to the counter: "Wouldn't that kill you?" muttered the smaller man
to his partner.

"What do you mean?" demanded the other.

The first speaker hitched his thumb guardedly over his shoulder: "Know
who that is out there?"

"No, I don't--who is he?"

Kate's ears were wide open: "None other," continued the man, pulling a
face, "than the well-known Jim Laramie himself." His partner checked
him and the two, talking in low tones, walked into the dining-room.

Kate could not at first believe her ears; then she felt that the cowboy
must know what he was talking about.

Worst of all, Laramie, at that moment--before she could think of
collecting herself--walked in through the open door. He came directly
to the counter. She hardly attempted to hide her consternation: "Are
you Jim Laramie?" she burst out in her excitement.

It must have been the manner of her words rather than the words
themselves that startled him. For just an instant the curtain lifted;
a flash of anger shot from his eyes; it was drawn again at once: "Is my
reputation over here as bad as that?" he asked.

Kate was dumb. Try as she would, she could not think of a thing to
say; the recollection of her reckless ride overwhelmed her. "What's
happened?" he continued with a little irritation. "If you weren't
afraid of me when you didn't know my name, why be afraid now?"

She stammered something, some apology, which he received, she afterward
thought, coldly: "I'm running up to the house now to change," she went
on hurriedly, "but I must thank you for----"

What on earth was she to thank him for? He helped her out: "Before you
go," he interrupted, sitting up on the counter stool nearest her and
looking at her without paying the slightest attention to her
meaningless words, "before you go, tell me your name."

Oddly enough, by just speaking he restored order to her faculties. She
looked straight at him: "You guessed that this mor