ising the bowl, emptied it. The poison electrified him
into utterance. "I seen her," he declared, holding his chin well down
and in, and speaking in a pardonably proud throat.

"Good, Bull!"

"They've got things tied up for fair over there." He spoke slowly and
brokenly. "I never got inside the house till after supper. Toward
night I helped Pardaloe put up the stock. He let me into the kitchen
after my coaxing for a cup of coffee--he's an ornery, cold-blooded
guy, that Pardaloe. Old Duke and Sassoon think the sun rises and sets
on the top of his head--funny, ain't it?"

De Spain made no comment. "Whilst I was drinking my coffee----"

"Who gave it to you?"

"Old Bunny, the Mex. Pardaloe goes out to the bunk-house; I sits down
to my supper, alone, with Bunny at the stove. All of a sudden who
comes a-trippin' in from the front of the house but Nan. I jumped up
as strong as I could, but I was too cold and stiff to jump up real
strong. She seen me, but didn't pay no attention. I dropped my spoon
on the floor. It didn't do no good, neither, so I pushed a hot plate
of ham gravy off the table. It hit the dog 'n' he jumped like kingdom
come. Old Bunny sails into me, Nan a-watchin', and while Mex was
pickin' up and cleanin' up, I sneaks over to the stove and winks at
Nan. Say, you oughter seen her look mad at me. She was hot, but I kept
a-winkin' and I says to her kind of husky-like: 'Got any letters for
Calabasas to-night?' Say, she looked at me as if she'd bore holes into
me, but I stood right up and glared back at the little girl. 'Come
from there this mornin',' says I, low, 'going back to-night. Some one
waiting there for news.'

"By jing! Just as I got the words out o' my mouth who comes
a-stalking in but Gale Morgan. The minute he seen me, he lit on me to
beat the band--called me everything he could lay his tongue to. I let
on I was drunk, but that didn't help. He ordered me off the premises.
'N' the worst of it was, Nan chimed right in and began to scold Bunny
for lettin' me in--and leaves the room, quick-like. Bunny put it on
Pardaloe, and she and Gale had it, and b'jing, Gale put me out--said
he'd pepper me. But wait till I tell y' how she fooled him. It was
rainin' like hell, 'n' it looked as if I was booked for a ride through
it and hadn't half drunk my second cup of coffee at that. I starts for
the barn, when some one in the dark on the porch grabs my arm, spins
me around like a top, throws a flasher up into my