ly proprietor
smiled.

"Hello, Vil. Somethin' I kin do fer you?"

"Yes," answered the man. He spoke quietly, but there was that in his
voice that caused the other to glance at him sharply. "You can stand
up."

The man complied without taking his eyes from the cowboy's face.

"I happened to be goin' by an' thought I'd stop an' see if I could
take the team over to the livery barn for my--neighbors, yonder. The
door bein' open, I couldn't help hearin' what you said." He paused,
and the proprietor grinned.

"Business is business, an' a man's into it fer all he kin git."

"I suppose that's so. I suppose it's good business to lie an' cheat
women, an'----"

"I hain't lied, an' I hain't cheated no one. An' what business is it
of yourn if I did? All my rooms is full up, an' the help's all gone to
the pitcher show."

"An' there's about a dozen or so cowmen stoppin' here to-night--the
ones you talked of payin' to double up--an' there ain't one of 'em
that wouldn't be glad to double up, or go out an' sleep on the street
if he couldn't get nowhere else to sleep, if you even whispered that
there was a lady needed his room. The boys is right touchy when it
comes to bein' lied about."

The proprietor's face became suddenly serious. "Aw looky here, Vil, I
didn't know these parties was friends of yourn. I'll see't they gits
'em a room, an' I expect I kin dig 'em out some cold meat an'
trimmin's. I was only kiddin'. Can't you take a joke?"

"Yes, I can take a joke. I'm only kiddin', too--an' so'll the boys be,
after I tell 'em----"

"They hain't no use rilin' the boys up. I----"

"An' about that supper," continued the cowboy, ignoring the protest,
"I guess that cold meat'll keep over. What these ladies needs is a
good hot supper. Plenty of ham _and_, hot Java, potatoes, an' whatever
you got."

"But the help's----"

"Get it yourself, then. It ain't so long since you was runnin' a short
order dump. You ain't forgot how to get up a quick feed, an' to give
the devil his due, a pretty good one."

The other started surlily toward the rear. "I'll do it, if----"

"You won't do it _if_ nothin'. You'll do it--that's all. An' you'll
do it at the regular price, too."

"Say, who's runnin' this here _hotel_?"

"You're runnin' it, an' I'm tellin you how," answered the tall
hillman, without taking his eyes from the other's face.

The man disappeared, muttering incoherently, and Vil Holland turned to
the door.

"I want to than