he Happy Family finally made their escape, red-faced and muttering
threats, Andy Green had disappeared, and no one knew when he went or
where. He was not in Rusty Brown's place when the Happy Family went to
that haven and washed down their wrongs in beer. Pink made a hurried
trip to the livery stable and reported that Andy's horse was gone.

They were wondering among themselves whether he would have the nerve to
go home and await their coming--home at this stage of the game meaning
One Man coulee, which Andy had taken as a homestead and desert claim and
where the Happy Family camped together until such time as their claim
shacks were habitable. Some thought that he was hiding in town, and
advised a thorough search before they took to their horses. The Native
Son--he of mixed Irish and Spanish blood--told them with languid
certainty that Andy was headed straight for the camp because he would
figure that in camp was where they would least expect to find him.

The opinions of the Native Son were usually worth adopting. In this
case, however, it brought them into the street at the very moment when
Florence Grace Hallman and two homeseekers had ventured from the hotel
in search of them. Slim and Jack Bates and Cal Emmett saw them in time
and shied across the street and into the new barber shop where they sat
themselves down and demanded unnecessary hair-cuts and a shampoo apiece,
and spied upon their unfortunate fellows through the window while they
waited; but the others met the women fairly since it was too late to
turn back without making themselves ridiculous.

"I was wondering," began Miss Hallman in her brisk, business tone,
"if some of you gentlemen could not help us out in the matter of
conveyances. I have made arrangements for most of my guests, but we
simply can't squeeze another one into the rigs I have engaged--and I've
engaged every vehicle in town except a wheelbarrow I saw in the back
yard of the hotel."

"How many are left out?" asked Weary, since no one else showed any
symptoms of speech.

"Oh, not many, thank goodness. Just us three here. You've met Miss
Allen, Mr. Davidson--and Miss Price. And so have you other gentlemen,
because I introduced you at the depot. I went blandly ahead and told
everybody just which rig they were to ride in, and put three in a seat,
at that, and in counting noses I forgot to count our own--"

"I really don't see how she managed to overlook mine," sighed Miss
Allen, laying