llow, with a sparse, daintily trimmed beard and weak watery eyes,
was characterized by a solemn and portentous gravity, as though,
realizing fully the profound importance of his mission in life, he could
permit no trivial thought to enter his bald, domelike head. One knew
instinctively that in all the forty-five or fifty years of his little
life no happiness or joy that had not been scientifically sterilized and
certified had ever been permitted to stain his super-aesthetic soul.

As he came forward, he gazed at the long-limbed man on the big bay horse
with a curious eagerness, as though he were considering a strange and
interesting creature that could scarcely be held to belong to the human
race.

"Professor Parkhill," said Phil coolly, "you were saying that you had
never seen a genuine cowboy in his native haunt. Permit me to introduce
a typical specimen, Mr. Honorable Patches. Patches, this is Professor
Parkhill."

"Phil," murmured Kitty, "how can you?"

The Professor was gazing at Patches as though fascinated. And Patches,
his weather-beaten face as grave as the face of a wooden Indian, stared
back at the Professor with a blank, open-mouthed and wild-eyed
expression of rustic wonder that convulsed Phil and made Kitty turn away
to hide a smile.

"Howdy! Proud to meet up with you, mister," drawled the typical specimen
of the genus cowboy. And then, as though suddenly remembering his
manners, he leaped to the ground and strode awkwardly forward, one hand
outstretched in greeting, the other holding fast to Stranger's bridle
rein, while the horse danced and plunged about with reckless
indifference to the polite intentions of his master.

The Professor backed fearfully away from the dangerous looking horse and
the equally formidable-appearing cowboy. Whereat Patches addressed
Stranger with a roar of savage wrath.

"Whoa! You consarned, square-headed, stiff-legged, squint-eyed,
lop-eared, four-flusher, you. Whoa, I tell you! Cain't you see I'm
a-wantin' to shake hands with this here man what the boss has interduced
me to?"

Phil nearly choked. Kitty was looking unutterable things. They did not
know that Patches was suffering from a reaction caused by the discovery
that he had never before met Professor Parkhill.

"You see, mister," he explained gravely, advancing again with Stranger
following nervously, "this here fool horse ain't used to strangers, no
how, 'specially them as don't look, as you might say, just n