th its barbaric splendor, but never
indifferent.

Soon the west held none but the deeper tints, and the shadows climbed,
with the stealthy tread of trailing Indians, from the valley, chasing
the after-glow to the very hilltops, where it stood a moment at bay
and then surrendered meekly to the dusk. A meadow-lark near-by cut the
silence into haunting ripples of melody, stopped affrighted at their
coming, and flew off into the dull glow of the west; his little body
showed black against a crimson cloud. Out across the river a lone coyote
yapped sharply, then trailed off into the weird plaint of his kind.

"Brother-in-law's in town to-day; Bob Nevin saw him," Pink remarked,
when the coyote ceased wailing and held his peace.

"Who?" Rowdy only half-heard.

"Bob Nevin," repeated Pink naively.

"Don't get funny. Who did Bob see?"

"Brother-in-law. Yours, not mine. Jessie's tin god. If he's there yet,
I bid for an invite to the 'swatfest.' Or maybe"--a horrible possibility
forced itself upon Pink--"maybe you'll kill the fattest maverick and
fall on his neck--"

"The maverick's?" Rowdy's brows were rather pinched together, but his
tone told nothing.

"Naw; Harry Conroy's a fellow's liable to do most any fool thing when
he's got schoolma'amitis."

"That so?"

Pink snorted. The possibility had grown to black certainty in his mind.
He became suddenly furious.

"Lord! I hope some kind friend'll lead me out an' knock me in the head,
if ever I get locoed over any darned girl!"

"Same here," agreed Rowdy, unmoved.

"Then your days are sure numbered in words uh one syllable, old-timer,"
snapped Pink.

Rowdy leaned and patted him caressingly upon the shoulder--a form of
irony which Pink detested. "Don't get excited, sonny," he soothed. "Did
you fetch your gun?"

"I sure did!" Pink drew a long breath of relief. "Yuh needn't think I'm
going t' take chances on being no human colander. I've packed a gun for
Harry Conroy ever since that rough-riding contest uh yourn. Yuh mind
the way I took him under the ear with a rock? He's been makin' war-talk
behind m' back ever since. Did I bring m' gun! Well, I guess yes!" He
dimpled distractingly.

"All the same, it'll suit me not to run up against him," said Rowdy
quite frankly. He knew Pink would understand. Then he lifted his coat
suggestively, to show the weapon concealed beneath, and smiled.

"Different here. Yuh did have sense enough t' be ready--and if yuh see
him, and do