like, and confidential way of
relating it and, withal, interlarded his speech with so many little
touches of humour, that the audience became fascinated, and sat in
open-eyed forgetfulness of all else. Buttercup, in particular, became
so engrossed as to forget herself as well as her duties, and stood
behind her master in an expectant attitude, glaring at the story-teller,
with bated breath, profound sympathy, and extreme readiness to
appreciate every joke whether good or bad.

In the midst of one of the most telling of his anecdotes the speaker was
suddenly arrested by the quick tramp of a galloping horse, the rider of
which, judging from the sound, seemed to be in hot haste.

All eyes were turned inquiringly on the master of the ranch. That cool
individual, rising with quiet yet rapid action, reached down a magazine
repeating rifle that hung ready loaded above the door of the room.

Observing this, Dick Darvall drew a revolver from his coat-pocket and
followed his host to the outer door of the house. Mary accompanied
them, and Buttercup retired to the back kitchen as being her appropriate
stronghold.

They had hardly reached and flung open the door when Bluefire came
foaming and smoking into the yard with Crux the cow-boy on his back.

"Wall, Roaring Bull," cried Crux, leaping off his horse and coming
forward as quietly as if there were nothing the matter. "I'm glad to
see you OK, for the Cheyenne Reds are on the war-path, an' makin' tracks
for your ranch. But as they've not got here yet, they won't likely
attack till the moon goes down. Is there any chuck goin'? I'm half
starved."

"Ay, Crux, lots o' chuck here. Come in an' let's hear all about it.
Where got ye the news?"

"Hunky Ben sent me. He wasn't thinkin' o' you at first but when a boy
came in wi' the news that a crowd o' the reds had gone round by Pine
Hollow--just as he was fixin' to pull out for Quester Creek to rouse up
the cavalry--he asked me to come on here an' warn you."

While he was speaking the cow-boy sat down to supper with the air of a
man who meant business, while the host and his sailor guest went to look
after the defences of the place.

"I'm glad you are here, Dick Darvall," said the former, "for it's a bad
job to be obliged to fight without help agin a crowd o' yellin' Reds.
My boys won't be back till sun-up, an' by that time the game may be
played out."

"D'ee think the Redskins 'll attack us to-night then?" asked the sai