hey dropped off her, and he'd exchange' 'em, and when he
got right near her door, why, he couldn't find his courage. And so he
slips the parcel under the fence and starts serenadin' her. But she
ain't inside her cabin at all. She's at supper next door with the
Taylors, and Baldy singin' 'Love has conqwered pride and angwer' to a
lone house. Lin McLean was comin' up by Taylor's corral, where Taylor's
Texas bull was. Well, it was turruble sad. Baldy's pants got tore, but
he fell inside the fence, and Lin druv the bull back and somebody stole
them Medicine Bow galoshes. Are you goin' to knit her some more, Bokay?"

"About half that ain't straight," Baldy commented, with mildness.

"The half that was tore off yer pants? Well, never mind, Baldy; Lin will
get left too, same as all of yu'."

"Is there many?" inquired the Virginian. He was still stretched on his
back, looking up at the sky.

"I don't know how many she's been used to where she was raised," Wiggin
answered. "A kid stage-driver come from Point of Rocks one day and went
back the next. Then the foreman of the 76 outfit, and the horse-wrangler
from the Bar-Circle-L, and two deputy marshals, with punchers, stringin'
right along,--all got their tumble. Old Judge Burrage from Cheyenne come
up in August for a hunt and stayed round here and never hunted at all.
There was that horse thief--awful good-lookin'. Taylor wanted to warn
her about him, but Mrs. Taylor said she'd look after her if it was
needed. Mr. Horse-thief gave it up quicker than most; but the schoolmarm
couldn't have knowed he had a Mrs. Horse-thief camped on Poison Spider
till afterwards. She wouldn't go ridin' with him. She'll go with some,
takin' a kid along."

"Bah!" said Trampas.

The Virginian stopped looking at the sky, and watched Trampas from where
he lay.

"I think she encourages a man some," said poor Nebrasky.

"Encourages? Because she lets yu' teach her how to shoot," said Wiggin.
"Well--I don't guess I'm a judge. I've always kind o' kep' away from
them good women. Don't seem to think of anything to chat about to 'em.
The only folks I'd say she encourages is the school kids. She kisses
them."

"Riding and shooting and kissing the kids," sneered Trampas. "That's a
heap too pussy-kitten for me."

They laughed. The sage-brush audience is readily cynical.

"Look for the man, I say," Trampas pursued. "And ain't he there? She
leaves Baldy sit on the fence while she and Lin McLean--"

Th