k you," ventured Patty. "Evidently your word carries
weight with mine host."

"It better," replied the cowpuncher, dryly. "An' you're welcome. I'll
take the team across to the livery barn." He spoke impersonally, with
scarcely a glance in her direction, and as the screen door banged
behind him the girl flushed, remembering her own rudeness upon the
trail.

"Lawless he may be, and he certainly looks and acts the part," she
murmured to herself as the wagon rattled away from the sidewalk, "but
his propensity for turning up at the right time and the right place is
rapidly becoming a matter of habit." A door beside the desk stood
ajar, and above it, Patty read the words "WASH ROOM." Pushing it open
she glanced into the interior which was dimly lighted by a murky oil
lamp that occupied a sagging bracket beside a distorted mirror. Two
tin wash basins occupied a sink-like contrivance above which a single
iron faucet protruded from the wall. Beside the faucet was tacked a
broad piece of wrapping paper upon which were printed in a laborious
scrawl the following appeals:

NOTISS

Ples DoNT LEEv THE WaTTer RUN ITS hAN
Pumpt.
PLes DONT Waist THE ToWL.
Kome AN BREsh AN TOOTH BResH IS INto
THR Rak BESIDS THE MiRRoW. PLeS PUT
EM baCK.
THes IS hoUSE RULes AN WANts TO be OBayD
KINLY.

F. RuMMEL, PROP.

Removing the trail dust from their faces and hands, the girls returned
to the office and after an interminable wait the proprietor appeared,
red-faced and surly. "Grub's on, an' yer room'll be ready agin you've
et," he growled, and waddled to his place at the window.

A generous supply of ham and eggs, fried potatoes, bread and butter,
and hot coffee awaited them in the dining-room, and it seemed to Patty
that never before had food tasted so good. Twenty minutes later, when
they returned to the office the landlord indicated the stairway with a
jerk of his thumb. "First door to the right from the top of the
stairs, lamp's lit, extry blankets in the closet, breakfast from five
'till half-past-seven." The words rattled from his lips in a single
breath as he sat staring into the outer darkness.

"If Aunt Rebecca could see me, now," smiled Patty to herself, as she
led the way up the uncarpeted stairs, with Microby Dandeline's
cow-hide boots clattering noisily in her wake.

CHAPTER V

SHEEP CAMP

If Patty Sinclair had anticipated annoyance from the forced attention
of her tall