ic. Never again would she
doubt his will or resist the gentle yet firm strength of his hand. From
that moment the Gold Dust maverick, like Captain Jack, was a one-man
horse, ready to serve, to trust and obey only the Ramblin' Kid.

"You little beauty," he laughed tenderly as he playfully shook the
underlip of the filly and started toward the gate, "--you're a
runner--gee!--but you're a runner!"

The others were fast asleep when the Ramblin' Kid noiselessly opened the
door of the bunk-house, went in, and without undressing, stretched
himself on his bed.

Old Heck awakened the cowboys as the sun poured its first slanting rays
through the open un-draped window.

The stir aroused the Ramblin' Kid.

He made no move to arise.

"Ain't you going to get up?" Old Heck said garrulously.

"When I damn please!" was the independent reply. "Skinny, tell th' Chink
to keep me a cup of hot coffee!"

Old Heck snorted but said no more.

Parker and the cowboys dressed silently, half-moodily. They hardly knew
yet how they felt after the excitement of the night before. Skinny
started to put on the white shirt, looked at it contemptuously a
moment, and with a muttered oath threw it viciously on the bed.

In a few moments the Ramblin' Kid was left alone in the bunk-house. He
lay, hands clasped at the back of his head, studying. His eyes were
closed, but he was not asleep. Presently he smiled and opened his eyes.
He drew the pink satin elastic from his pocket and looked at it. "That's
a hell of a thing to be packin'--wonder why I keep it?" he muttered. It
suddenly occurred to him that if he was not at breakfast Carolyn June
would think he was afraid or ashamed to meet her. He got up,
straightened his disarranged clothes, went to the house and after
stopping at the ditch by the fence and washing his face, walked
indifferently into the kitchen and sat down at his regular place. The
others already were eating. Carolyn June glanced at him with a
meaningless smile and acknowledged, without feeling, his quiet "Good
morning!"

The cowboys were nervous. Memory of last night was fresh in their minds.
It made them cautious in their talk.

Ophelia and Carolyn June, also, were a bit restrained.

They were not sure but they had started more than it would be easy to
stop. The expressions in the eyes of the cowboys paid tribute to the
success of the two women's efforts at wholesale heart-wrecking. The
child-like acceptance of a simple flirtati