rew dark that evening the girls and boys went indoors,
and played and sang. Belle showed her skill on the piano, and Dave and
Phil tried the mechanical arrangement of the instrument, with perforated
music rolls. Almost before they realized it, it was time to go to bed.

The next morning Roger still limped a little, and it was agreed to take
it easy. All wanted to write letters, and the entire day was spent in
doing little else.

"How will the letters be posted?" asked Dave.

"Todd will take them over to the railroad station to-morrow," answered
Mrs. Endicott.

Shortly after dinner the next day, the cowboy announced that he was
ready to take the mail to the station. Phil and Roger had wandered off
to the barns, to look at some calves.

"If you don't mind, I'll go with you to the station," said Dave to the
cowboy. "The ride would just suit me."

"Glad to have you along," answered Sid Todd. He had taken a strong fancy
to the boys and to Dave in particular.

They were soon on their way, Todd carrying the mail in a bag slung over
his horse's neck. Man and boy were in the best of spirits, and both made
rapid time over the dusty roads.

"Maybe you'll meet a friend of yours at the station when the train comes
in," said Todd.

"A friend? Who?" asked Dave.

"That Merwell boy. Yates heard he was coming to-day. One of the cowboys
from Merwell's ranch said so."

"I don't know that I care to meet him," answered Dave. "He is no friend
of mine."

"That boy ought to have his hide tanned good and proper," growled the
cowboy. "He's been a sore spot here for years."

"Have you had trouble with him?"

"Yes, and so has everybody else on this ranch, and on his own ranch,
too, for the matter of that. Not that he did anything very bad,"
continued Todd. "But it's jest his mean, measly ways. He don't know how
to treat a hand civilly."

"Isn't his father the same way?"

"Sometimes, but not always. The old man knows that the boys won't stand
for too much of that thing."

"Who is at their ranch besides Mr. Merwell?"

"Oh, the regular hands, that's all."

"No young folks?"

"No."

"I should think it would be lonely for Link."

"Maybe it is. But that ain't no reason why he should act so mean," added
Sid Todd.

"I should think he'd want to invite some of his friends to visit him."

"Maybe Mr. Merwell don't want it. He's putty close, you must remember,
and it costs money to entertain."

"Well, I pity Link if he has got