to the gorgeously-plumed birds and saucy
squirrels scampering all about her. The hours spent thus were as oases
in her otherwise practical existence, and after a while she would
return laden down with great bunches of ferns and wild flowers which,
eventually, found a place on the walls of The Polka.

* * * * * *

Glancing at the bar to see that everything was to her satisfaction, the
Girl greeted the boys warmly, almost rapturously with:

"Hello, boys! How's everythin'? Gettin' taken care of?"

"Hello, Girl!" sang out Sonora in what he considered was his most
fetching manner. He had been the first to reach the coveted position
opposite the Girl, although Handsome, who had followed her in, was
leaning at the end of the bar nearest to the dance-hall.

"Hello, Sonora!" returned the Girl with an amused smile, for it was
impossible with her keen sense of humour not to see Sonora's attempts
to make himself irresistible to her. Nor did she fail to observe that
Trinidad, likewise, had spruced himself up a little more than usual,
with the same purpose in mind.

"Hello, Girl!" he said, strolling up to her with a ludicrous swagger.

"Hello, Trin!" came from the Girl, smilingly.

There was an awkward pause in which both Sonora and Trinidad floundered
about in their minds for something to say; at length, a brilliant
inspiration came to the former, and he asked:

"Say, Girl, make me a prairie oyster, will you?"

"All, right, Sonora, I'll fix you right up," returned the Girl, smiling
to herself at his effort. But at the moment that she was reaching for a
bottle back of the bar, a terrific whoop came from the dance-hall, and
ever-watchful lest the boys' fun should get beyond her control, she
called to her factotum to quiet things down in the next room, concluding
warningly:

"They've had about enough."

When the barkeeper had gone to do her bidding, the Girl picked up an
egg, and, poising it over a glass, she went on:

"Say, look 'ere, Sonora, before I crack this 'ere egg, I'd like to state
that eggs is four bits apiece. Only two hens left--" She broke off
short, and turning upon Handsome, who had been gradually sidling
up until his elbows almost touched hers, she repulsed him a trifle
impatiently:

"Oh, run away, Handsome!"

A flush of pleasure at Handsome's evident discomfiture spread over
Sonora's countenance, and comical, indeed, to the Girl, was the majestic
air he took on when he o