Southerner and me, "that I've asked her
twiced, and I'm going to let her have one more chance. And I've told her
that if it's a log cabin she's marryin', why Tommy is a sure good wooden
piece of furniture to put inside it. And I guess she knows there's not
much wooden furniture about me. I want to speak to you." He took the
Virginian round the corner. But though he would not confide in me, I
began to discern something quite definite at supper.

"Cattle men will lose stock if the Crows get down as far as this," he
said, casually, and Mrs. Taylor suppressed a titter.

"Ain't it hawses the're repawted as running off?" said the Virginian.

"Chap come into the round-up this afternoon," said Lin. "But he was
rattled, and told a heap o' facts that wouldn't square."

"Of course they wouldn't," said Tommy, haughtily.

"Oh, there's nothing in it," said Lin, dismissing the subject.

"Have yu' been to the opera since we went to Cheyenne, Mrs. Taylor?"

Mrs. Taylor had not.

"Lin," said the Virginian, "did yu ever see that opera Cyarmen?"

"You bet. Fellow's girl quits him for a bullfighter. Gets him up in
the mountains, and quits him. He wasn't much good--not in her class o'
sports, smugglin' and such."

"I reckon she was doubtful of him from the start. Took him to the
mount'ins to experiment, where they'd not have interruption," said the
Virginian.

"Talking of mountains," said Tommy, "this range here used to be a great
place for Indians till we ran 'em out with Terry. Pumped lead into the
red sons-of-guns."

"You bet," said Lin. "Do yu' figure that girl tired of her bull-fighter
and quit him, too?"

"I reckon," replied the Virginian, "that the bull-fighter wore better."

"Fans and taverns and gypsies and sportin'," said Lin. "My! but I'd like
to see them countries with oranges and bull-fights! Only I expect Spain,
maybe, ain't keepin' it up so gay as when 'Carmen' happened."

The table-talk soon left romance and turned upon steers and alfalfa, a
grass but lately introduced in the country. No further mention was made
of the hostile Crows, and from this I drew the false conclusion that
Tommy had not come up to their hopes in the matter of reciting his
campaigns. But when the hour came for those visitors who were not
spending the night to take their leave, Taylor drew Tommy aside with me,
and I noticed the Virginian speaking with Molly Wood, whose face showed
diversion.

"Don't seem to make anything of it," whisp