ation as a slugger and keeps the crowd around him
buffaloed. They say he killed a feller--beat him to death--in a fight
over at Sapulpa before he came to Eagle Butte. I don't like the filthy
cuss. He's mean!"

"He looks it!" Carolyn June exclaimed, with the uncomfortable feeling
that the big Greek's look had touched her with something vile and
unclean.

After the parade disbanded Carolyn June and Skinny rode back to the car
where Old Heck and Ophelia had remained.

"You made a darned good-looking cowgirl!" Old Heck said proudly to her
as she stopped Red John by the side of the Clagstone "Six."

"She and Skinny both presented a very fine appearance!" the widow added,
while Carolyn June playfully blew a kiss at each in acknowledgment of
the compliment. Skinny sat on Old Pie Face and felt a warm glow of
satisfaction at the words of Old Heck and Ophelia. He had known all the
time that Carolyn June and he had shown up well, but he was glad to find
that others besides himself had noticed it.

Dorsey, on a black stallion, cantered past.

A moment later the Ramblin' Kid came jogging off the race course on
Captain Jack. He threw up his hand in greeting and passed on out of the
grounds.

Parked next to the Clagstone "Six" was a handsome touring car, occupied
by a party consisting of a girl about Carolyn June's own age, a woman a
few years older and a couple of immaculately dressed young men who wore
flaring brimmed black felt hats that contrasted absurdly with their
expensively tailored suits. Evidently all were "big town" people from a
distance--very "superior" and patronizing in their attitude toward the
"natives." They had been free and voluble in their comments on the
various riders. Dorsey, on the magnificent Thunderbolt, drew a murmur of
admiration from the lips of the girl. As the Ramblin' Kid, the next
moment, rode by on Captain Jack one of the young fellows said loudly and
with a laugh of ridicule:

"Look at that one, Bess," addressing the girl; "there's the 'wild and
woolly' West for you! I'll bet if that horse sneezed he'd fall down and
the lonesome-looking little runt that's riding him would tumble off and
root his nose in the dust!"

A cackle of derisive laughter greeted the cheap witticism.

Before any of the others could speak Carolyn June's eyes blazed with
sudden wrath. She turned her body in the saddle and faced the speaker,
her hands tightly clenched, her cheeks white with passion and her lip
curli