or had
he simply found it was inconsistent with his dancing, and seriously
interfered with his "fancy steps"? Had he found tracts and hymn-books
were as edible as theatre posters? These were questions that Rocky
canyon discussed lightly, although there was always the more serious
mystery of the relations of the Reverend Mr. Withholder, Polly Harkness,
and the goat towards each other. The appearance of Polly at church was
no doubt due to the minister's active canvass of the districts. But had
he ever heard of Polly's dancing with the goat? And where in this plain,
angular, badly dressed Polly was hidden that beautiful vision of the
dancing nymph which had enthralled so many? And when had Billy ever
given any suggestion of his Terpsichorean abilities--before or since?
Were there any "points" of the kind to be discerned in him now? None!
Was it not more probable that the Reverend Mr. Withholder had himself
been dancing with Polly, and been mistaken for the goat? Passengers who
could have been so deceived with regard to Polly's beauty might have as
easily mistaken the minister for Billy. About this time another incident
occurred which increased the mystery.

The only male in the settlement who apparently dissented from the
popular opinion regarding Polly was a new-comer, Jack Filgee. While
discrediting her performance with the goat,--which he had never
seen,--he was evidently greatly prepossessed with the girl herself.
Unfortunately, he was equally addicted to drinking, and as he was
exceedingly shy and timid when sober, and quite unpresentable at other
times, his wooing, if it could be so called, progressed but slowly.
Yet when he found that Polly went to church, he listened so far to the
exhortations of the Reverend Mr. Withholder as to promise to come
to "Bible class" immediately after the Sunday service. It was a hot
afternoon, and Jack, who had kept sober for two days, incautiously
fortified himself for the ordeal by taking a drink before arriving. He
was nervously early, and immediately took a seat in the empty church
near the open door. The quiet of the building, the drowsy buzzing of
flies, and perhaps the soporific effect of the liquor caused his eyes
to close and his head to fall forward on his breast repeatedly. He
was recovering himself for the fourth time when he suddenly received a
violent cuff on the ear, and was knocked backward off the bench on which
he was sitting. That was all he knew.

He picked himse