I never _can_ say
that name!"

The ranchman, however, at once put Rose and everybody else at their ease
on that point. When he took off his broad-brimmed hat to make Mrs.
Bunker a sweeping bow, he said:

"Don't put on any dog out here, Charlie. I've most forgotten the name I
was handicapped with when I was born. Nobody calls me anything like that
out here. Call me 'Jack'--just 'Cowboy Jack.' It fits me a sight better,
and that's true. I was a cow-puncher long before I got hold of a lot of
good Texas land and began to own mulley cows myself. Now, let me get
acquainted with all these little shavers. What's their names? I bet they
got better names than my folks could give me."

Rose and Russ, and even the smaller children, liked Cowboy Jack right
away. Who could help liking him, even if he did shout when he spoke and
wear such flashy clothes? His smile and his twinkling eyes would have
won him friends in any company of children, that was sure. And then,
though the clothes were odd, the children were not at all certain that
they were not more beautiful than those their father wore.

And what a game they made of telling Cowboy Jack their names, so that he
would remember them--"get 'em stuck in his mind" as he called it.

"I can remember 'Russ' because he is the oldest," declared Cowboy Jack.
"And 'Rose' is the sweetest flower that grows, and I can't forget her.
And 'Violet'? Why! she's the first blossom that comes up in the spring,
and I sure couldn't forget her. And this boy, her twin, you say?
'Laddie'? Why, that's just what he is--a laddie. I couldn't mistake him
for a lassie, so I'm sure to get _his_ name stuck in my mind," and
Cowboy Jack boomed a great laugh, shaking hands with each of the
children as daddy presented them.

"And this is 'Margy,'" proceeded the ranchman. "I'd know that was her
name just to look at her. She couldn't have any other name but 'Margy.'
No other would fit. Now, that's all, isn't it?" added Cowboy Jack, his
eyes twinkling very much as he looked right at Mun Bun but appeared not
to see him. "Russ, and Rose, and Violet, and Laddie, and Margy? Yes,
that must be all."

"There's _me_!" exclaimed the littlest Bunker, staring up at the big
man.

"What's that I hear?" asked Cowboy Jack, looking all about the platform,
and up in the air, and over the heads of the Bunker children. "Did I
hear somebody speak?"

The five older Bunker children began to giggle, but Mun Bun did not take
the matte