etly and introduced the judge and the ladies
to every man present, without deviation and without exception, and
then, having offered Miss Ware his cracker box, he moved over a man or
two and sat down.

In the bulk of his mighty frame, the rugged power of his countenance,
and the unconscious authority of his words he was easily master of
them all; but though he had the voice of Mars and a head like Olympian
Zeus he must needs abase his proud spirit to the demands of the
occasion, for the jealousy of mortal man is a proverb. Where the
punchers that he hired for thirty dollars a month were decked out in
shaps and handkerchiefs he sat in his shirt-sleeves and overalls, with
only his high-heeled boots and the enormous black sombrero which he
always wore, to mark him for their king. And the first merry question
which Miss Kitty asked he allowed to pass unnoticed, until Bill
Lightfoot--to save the credit of the bunch--answered it himself.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied politely. "That was a genuwine cowboy song we
was singin'--we sing 'em to keep the cattle awake at night."

"Oh, how interesting!" exclaimed Kitty, leaning forward in her
eagerness. "But why do you try to keep them awake? I should think they
would be so tired, after travelling all day."

"Yes, ma'am," responded Bill, twisting his silk handkerchief
nervously, "but if they go to sleep and anything wakes 'em up quick
they stompede--so we ride through 'em and sing songs."

"Just think of that, Lucy!" cried Miss Kitty enthusiastically. "And it
was such a pretty tune, too! Won't you sing it again, Mr. Lightfoot?
I'd just love to hear it!"

Here was a facer for Mr. Lightfoot, and Jefferson Creede, to whom all
eyes were turned in the crisis, smiled maliciously and let him sweat.

"Bill ain't in very good voice to-night," he observed at last, as the
suspense became unbearable, "and we're kinder bashful about singin' to
company, anyway. But if you want to hear somethin' good, you want to
git Bill goin' about Coloraydo. Sure, Mr. Lightfoot is our best
story-teller; and he's had some mighty excitin' times up there in them
parts, hain't you, Bill?"

Bill cast a baleful glance at his rival and thrust out his chin
insolently. His Coloraydo experiences were a matter of jest with Jeff
Creede, but with the ladies it might be different. His courage rose
before the flattering solicitude of Kitty Bonnair and he resolved then
and there to fool Mr. Creede or know the reason why.