ness had not brought out the best in
Richard Gale. The West had done that, however, as it had for many a
wild youngster; and Belding resolved to have a little fun at the
expense of Mr. Gale. So he began by making a few remarks that appeared
to rob Dick's father of both speech and breath.

"And don't mistake me," concluded Belding, "just keep out of earshot
when Laddy tells us the story of that desert trip, unless you're
hankering to have your hair turn pure white and stand curled on end and
freeze that way."

About the middle of the forenoon on the following day the rangers
hobbled out of the kitchen to the porch.

"I'm a sick man, I tell you," Ladd was complaining, "an' I gotta be
fed. Soup! Beef tea! That ain't so much as wind to me. I want about
a barrel of bread an' butter, an' a whole platter of mashed potatoes
with gravy an' green stuff--all kinds of green stuff--an' a whole big
apple pie. Give me everythin' an' anythin' to eat but meat. Shore I
never, never want to taste meat again, an' sight of a piece of sheep
meat would jest about finish me.... Jim, you used to be a human bein'
that stood up for Charlie Ladd."

"Laddy, I'm lined up beside you with both guns," replied Jim,
plaintively. "Hungry? Say, the smell of breakfast in that kitchen
made my mouth water so I near choked to death. I reckon we're gettin'
most onhuman treatment."

"But I'm a sick man," protested Ladd, "an' I'm agoin' to fall over in a
minute if somebody doesn't feed me. Nell, you used to be fond of me."

"Oh, Laddy, I am yet," replied Nell.

"Shore I don't believe it. Any girl with a tender heart just couldn't
let a man starve under her eyes... Look at Dick, there. I'll bet he's
had something to eat, mebbe potatoes an' gravy, an' pie an'--"

"Laddy, Dick has had no more than I gave you--in deed, not nearly so
much."

"Shore he's had a lot of kisses then, for he hasn't hollered onct about
this treatment."

"Perhaps he has," said Nell, with a blush; "and if you think that--they
would help you to be reasonable I might--I'll--"

"Well, powerful fond as I am of you, just now kisses 'll have to run
second to bread an' butter."

"Oh, Laddy, what a gallant speech!" laughed Nell. "I'm sorry, but I've
Dad's orders."

"Laddy," interrupted Belding, "you've got to be broke in gradually to
eating. Now you know that. You'd be the severest kind of a boss if
you had some starved beggars on your hands."

"But I'm sick--I'm d