where
it drank deeply. The man flung himself off the saddle and, scooping the
water in his hands, imitated the horse's eagerness. When he had apparently
satisfied an inordinate thirst he looked up at the man across the river
and said:

"Say, could I git some grub in yore camp?"

"Yuh better move on, pardner. This here's resky territory," replied the
other, his Winchester swinging idly back and forth across the stranger's
middle.

"I'm hungry enough to take a chance," was the reply as Lester walked his
mount deliberately across the stream. "Besides, I want to do business with
yuh."

Another man, hearing the controversy, came up and ordered the newcomer
away. Lester asked him who he was.

"My name's Bissell," snorted the man.

Lester advanced the rest of the way to shore his hand outstretched.

"I'm plumb glad to know yuh," he said. "My name's Skidmore, an' I've just
come from the Bar T. I take pitchers, I do--yessir, the best in the
business; an' if yuh don't believe me, just look at these."

From somewhere in his saddle-bags Skidmore whipped out two photographs and
handed them to Bissell.

There, looking at him, sat Martha, in some of her long-unused finery, and
Juliet, the daughter who had until now been the greatest blessing of his
life.

Bissell started back as though he had seen a ghost, so excellent and
speaking were the likenesses.

"Yes, they asked me to come an' take one of yuh, Mr. Bissell," went on the
photographer.

"They did?" snapped Beef suspiciously. "How'd they know where I was?"

"Stelton told 'em. I was there when he got home."

"Oh, yes--Stelton, of course," apologized the owner. "How d'ye take the
blame things? With that contraption yuh've got there?"

"Yes, and I think there is still light enough for me to get you!" cried
Skidmore, snatching his outfit from the back of his horse and starting
hurriedly to set it up.

By this time quite a crowd had gathered, some of whom had never seen a
camera in operation, and none of whom had seen such pictures as Skidmore
was able to pass around.

Bissell posed with the embarrassed air of a schoolboy saying his first
piece, and after that Skidmore was busy arranging his subjects long after
it was too dark to make an impression on the plates. Finally, affecting
utter weariness, he asked for food, and the best in the camp was laid
before him.

"Can't do any more to-night," he said when he had finished. "But to-morrow
I can take a few; I hav