ing a lot of chances if he don't keep his teeth
clean and everything," Skinny spluttered as the water splashed down his
chin.

"Yes, that's right," Old Heck agreed, "there's germs and so on in them!"
as he flipped the water from his own brush, dried his lips on his
shirtsleeve and turned back into the kitchen.

The next morning, Saturday, Old Heck came to the breakfast table again
in a pensive mood.

"I was thinking about that man Dorsey," Skinny remarked, observing Old
Heck's mental depression and attributing it to the meeting the day
before in the pool-room at Eagle Butte. "Do you reckon the filly can
really beat that Thunderbolt horse?"

"Of course she can," Old Heck answered. "Th' Ramblin' Kid knows. All I'm
afraid is that when Dorsey finds out it's the Gold Dust maverick
Thunderbolt has got to go up against he won't bet much on it."

"The boys ought to be in to-day," Skinny said, abruptly switching the
subject; "they figured on getting the Battle Ridge cattle gathered and
in the big pasture by to-night, didn't they?"

"Yes," Old Heck replied, "that was what was in my mind. Parker will
be--" he stopped suddenly, "butting in again" he had started to say but
caught himself and finished lamely, "--probably pretty anxious to hurry
through as soon as possible and get the beef animals in the upland
pasture!"

"How are you going to work things when he gets back?" Skinny asked with,
a significant look at Old Heck.

"Blamed if I know--" Old Heck said uncertainly, stopping before he
finished the sentence. He understood what Skinny meant and just that had
been worrying him. He had reached the point where he could not endure
the thought of going back to the old arrangement of day and day about
with Parker in the enjoyment of the widow's society. Yet if Parker, on
his return, insisted on dividing Ophelia's time with him in conformity
with their original agreement, Old Heck knew he would have to yield. He
thought for a moment he would get the widow away from Skinny and Carolyn
June after breakfast and make a full confession of the whole thing, ask
her to marry him, and have it done with. But he had not yet been able to
get at the bottom of Ophelia's suffragette activities. What if she
married him and then suddenly broke loose as a speech-maker or something
for woman's rights? It wouldn't pay to take the risk. "It sure does keep
a man guessing!" he murmured under his breath, the sweat starting to
bead his forehead from t