loads of humanity began
to appear over the rim of the hollow, to pick their way carefully down
toward the lighted windows, urged by their drivers. Men on horseback
made the descent more swiftly, with a clatter of small rocks kicked
loose as they came. They encountered a four-wire fence, circled it to
where a lantern, hung on a post, revealed a gate that lay flat on the
ground to leave a welcoming space for teams and saddle horses to pass
through.

Beside the schoolhouse, with two lanterns shedding a yellow glow on
his thin, sandy hair, Riley, at the chuck-wagon, arranged doughnuts,
sandwiches, pies and cakes to his liking, wiped his red hands
frequently on his clean flour-sack apron, and held carefully unprofane
conversation with the women who came fluttering over to him, their
arms burdened.

"No, mom, sorry! I know I'm turnin' down something that's better than
anything I got here, but this here party's on the Lorrigans. No, mom,
I got orders not to take in s'much as a sour pickle from nobody. You
jest put it back in the rig, whatever you got there, and consider't
you got some Sat'day bakin' did up ahead.

"Yes, mom, it's Lance's party. He's home for a visit, an' he kinda
wanted to have a dance an' meet the folks, seein' he's been away quite
a spell and kain't stay long.

"Yes, mom, he's goin' back to college first the week.

"Hey! I wisht you'd tie up yore cayuses other side the shack. Folks'll
be comin' around here for their supper, and they don't wanta git their
faces kicked off whilst they're huntin' grub to fill 'em.

"No, mom, we ain't takin' any cakes or nothin' off nobody. Lance, he
wanted to give this dance an' give it _right_. Ain't goin' to cost
nobody a thing but sore corns, t'night!"

Lance had hired an Italian violinist and his boy who played a harp
much taller than himself and people coming from Jumpoff had brought
them out. The Millers had come, with all their outfit. The AJ outfit
was there to a man. The Swedes were present, sitting together in the
corner by the water bucket, and the Conleys, who lived over by Camas
Creek beyond the AJ, had come. The Conleys had sheep, and were not
firmly settled in the Black Rim, sheepmen being looked at askance.
There were families from nearer Jumpoff,--one really did wonder where
they all came from, when the country seemed so wide and unpeopled.

Lance was surprised to see how many were there who were total
strangers. Until the dancing began the men stood