. At which
Dorothy promptly echoed his "Hep, hep, hep," and the others took the
hint, pairing off into a compact little company and following their
leader like soldiers on parade.

Captain Lemuel smiled and nodded:

"Good, Little One! 'Tis you has the head of sense, and fingers for the
fiddle bow. The boys are all just proud to have you up at S' Leon, and
anything you want done--say the word! All I want is to see you shoot
well as you can fiddle. Ride, eh? Can you ride a horse, Little One?"

"My name is Dorothy, Captain Lemuel, and I can--a little. Helena, too,
is fine on horseback. She's the yellow-haired girl, you know. But why?
What makes you ask?"

They had come across the grass as far as the end of the Barracks, and
still drilling his "awkward squad," the old ranchman wheeled about and
ordered:

"Halt! About--face!"

Alfy giggled, but seeing the faces of all the rest, especially
Dorothy's, sober and set in imitation of the Captain's, she stopped
laughing and applied herself to the business in hand.

"Hep, hep, hep--March!"

They might have been veterans, instead of an awkward squad, so perfectly
they now kept step and so fully they entered into the old man's whim.
For only a whim they supposed this drilling to be, though in reality he
had taken note of all their figures and, with the exception of Herbert's
and Dorothy's, saw that each could be improved. Especially was there
need of this in Leslie's case; and having been told of the lad's
delicacy by his beloved "Boss," he had conceived this scheme of drill.

"You see, Boss, I can easy enough cure that boy by 'whipping him over
the others' shoulders,' so to speak. You've heard tell of that before, I
'low. He's all right. He's a real likely, well-growed lad; and that West
Point 't he's hankerin' for'd be the best thing ever happened to him.
Exceptin' course 't it would nigh break his mother's heart, so he told
me. Well, that's no more here nor there. A little drillin' in this
Colorady air'll do 'em all good and set him up to a dandy shape. Yes,
siree! You or your lady best just drop the hint to that there little
fiddler-girl, 't seems to lead the rest of 'em round by the nose--though
they like it, they like it an' her too! Couldn't help it, you see.
Nobody could; eh, what?"

"Indeed not! A daughter of our own could scarcely be dearer than little
Dorothy. I'll have Mrs. Ford speak to her, and I'll make it worth your
while, Captain, to do your utmost for L