while Stranger, with a wild, preliminary bound into the air,
proceeded, with many weird contortions, to give an exhibition which
fairly expressed his sentiments.

Little Billy grinned with delight. "Yip! Yip! Yee-e-e!" he shrilled, for
Stranger's benefit. And then, as the big horse continued his
manifestations, the lad added the cowboy's encouraging admonition to the
rider. "Stay with him, Patches! Stay with him!"

Patches laughingly stayed with him. "What you aimin' to do, pardner"--he
asked good-naturedly, when Stranger at last consented to keep two feet
on the ground at the same time--"tryin' to get me piled?"

"Shucks!" retorted the youngster admiringly. "I don't reckon anything
could pile you, _now_. I come out to tell you that we got company," he
added, as, side by side, they rode on toward the corrals.

Patches was properly surprised. "Company!" he exclaimed.

Little Billy grinned proudly. "Yep. He's a man--from way back East
somewhere. Uncle Will brought him out from town. They got here just
after dinner. I don't guess he's ever seen a ranch before. Gee! but
won't we have fun with him!"

Patches face was grave as he listened. "How do you know he is from the
East, Billy?" he asked, concealing his anxious interest with a smile at
his little comrade.

"Heard Uncle Will tell Phil and Kitty."

"Oh, Kitty is at the house, too, is she?"

Billy giggled. "She an' Phil's been off somewheres ridin' together most
all day; they just got back a while ago. They was talkin' with the
company when I left. Phil saw you when you was back there on the ridge,
an' I come on out to tell you."

Phil and Kitty were walking toward their horses, which were standing
near the corral fence, as Patches and Little Billy came through the
gate.

The boy dropped from his saddle, and ran on into the house to tell his
Aunt Stella that Patches had come, leaving Sheep to be looked after by
whoever volunteered for the service. It was one of Little Billy's
humiliations that he was not yet tall enough to saddle or bridle his own
horse, and the men tactfully saw to it that his mount was always ready
in the morning, and properly released at night, without any embarrassing
comments on the subject.

Patches checked his horse, and without dismounting greeted his friends.
"You're not going?" he said to Kitty, with a note of protest in his
voice. "I haven't seen you for a week. It's not fair for Phil to take
advantage of his position and send me