est part of
him, proportionately.

"What the deuce have you got to do with this?" he sneered, looking
savagely at Kit.

"Just enough to make sure that you do it," said Kit, rising.

"Well, I don't allow no pups like you to interfere with me. You sit down
an' let this gal an' me attend to our own business, er I'll bend you an'
tie you into a knot an' throw you out of the window."

Kit did not reply, but he reached over and got the fellow by the coat
collar and jerked him into the aisle, and, twisting him around, planted
his toe between his coat tails with a force that sent him halfway down
the length of the car.

"You're on the wrong train," said Kit. "The cattle train is on the other
track."

The fellow soon regained his balance, and came rushing back like a
charging bull.

"You little snipe!" he roared, "I'll kill you for that."

But as he got near Kit dodged into the space between the seats, and as
the fellow rushed past, carried on by the momentum of his run, Kit swung
at him with his right fist.

It caught the fellow back of the ear, and the force behind the blow, as
well as the rate at which he had been coming, sent him headlong between
two seats, where he lay crumpled up like a rag.

The commotion had attracted the attention of Bud and Ben, and they were
by Kit's side in a moment.

"Need any help?" asked Bud.

"Not a bit," replied Kit. "I'm not very large, but no man of that sort
can call me a pup."

The fellow lay where he fell, and Bud warned away several passengers who
wanted to go to his assistance.

"He's all right," he said. "A crack like that never injured any one
permanently, but sometimes it wakes them up ter ther foolishness of
insulting a lady when ther broncho boys are around."

Kit lifted his hat to the young lady.

"Pardon me for making a disturbance," he said. "I don't think you'll be
bothered again."

The young lady was profuse in her thanks, and resumed her seat.

Presently the fellow on the floor got up and sneaked into another car,
without looking again at either Kit or the young lady.

"Hello, Kit! What was it all about?" asked Ted entering the car.

"Oh, I never could stand for red neckties, nohow," answered Kit
apologetically.

When the train stopped for dinner they all trooped into the station
dining room, and secured for themselves a long table, around which they
sat like a big and happy family.

As Ted and Kit were walking along the platform toward the dining