ke, kid. Honest, it's more comfort than a wife."

"How do you know, since you are not married?" she asked archly.

"I been noticing some of my poor unfortunate friends," he grinned.

CHAPTER 7. IN THE LAND OF REVOLUTIONS

The knock that sounded on the door was neither gentle nor apologetic. It
sounded as if somebody had flung a baseball bat at it.

O'Connor smiled, remembering that soft tap of yore. "I reckon--" he was
beginning, when the door opened to admit a visitor.

This proved to be a huge, red-haired Irishman, with a face that served
just now merely as a setting for an irresistible smile. The owner of the
flaming head looked round in surprise on the pair of Romanies and began
an immediate apology to which a sudden blush served as accompaniment.

"Beg pardon. I didn't know. The damned dago told me--" He stopped in
confusion, with a scrape and a bow to the lady.

"Sir, I demand an explanation of this most unwarrantable intrusion,"
spoke the ranger haughtily, in his best Spanish.

A patter of soft foreign vowels flowed from the stranger's
embarrassment.

"You durned old hawss-stealing greaser, cayn't you talk English?"
drawled the gipsy, with a grin.

The other's mouth fell open with astonishment He stared at the slim,
dusky young Spaniard for an instant before he fell upon him and began to
pound his body with jovial fists.

"You would, would you, you old pie-eating fraud! Try to fool your Uncle
Mick and make him think you a greaser, would you? I'll learn yez to play
horse with a fullgrown, able-bodied white man." He punctuated his points
with short-arm jolts that Bucky laughingly parried.

"Before ladies, Mick! Haven't you forgot your manners, Red-haid?"

Swiftly Mr. O'Halloran came to flushed rigidity. "Madam, I must still
be apologizing. The surprise of meeting me friend went to me head, I
shouldn't wonder."

Bucky doubled up with apparent mirth. "Get into the other room, Curly,
and get your other togs on," he ordered. "Can't you see that Mick is
going to fall in love with you if he sees you a minute longer, you young
rascal? Hike!"

"Don't you talk that way to a lady, Bucky," warned O'Halloran, again
blushing vividly, after she had disappeared into the next room. "And I
want to let yez have it right off the bat that if you've been leading
that little Mexican senorita into trouble you've got a quarrel on with
Mike O'Halloran."

"Keep your shirt on, old fire-eater. Who told you I was wrongi