thousand miles."

"What do you mean by that? Does she live in Chicago?"

He ceased to laugh and grew a little darker of brow, and she quietly
added: "That's none o' my business, you'd like to say. All right--say it
isn't. But won't you get in and go down to dinner with me? I want to
honor the champion--the Ivanhoe of the tournament."

He shook his head. "No, I've promised to picnic with some old friends of
mine."

"That girl over there?"

"Yes."

"Well, just as you say, but you must eat with me to-night, will you?
Come now, what do you say?"

With a half promise Mose walked away toward the Reynolds' carriage--not
without regret, for there was charm in the princess, both in her own
handsome person and because she suggested a singular world of which he
knew nothing. She allured and repelled at the same time.

Beside the buggy Cora and Mrs. Reynolds had spread a substantial lunch,
and in such humble company the victor of the tournament ate his dinner,
while Dan and the rest galloped off to a saloon.

"I don't know what I can do with the gun," he said in reply to a
question from Cora. "My nerves are still on the jump; I guess I'll keep
out of the contest--it would hurt my reputation to miss." He turned to
Reynolds: "Capt'n, I want you to get me a chance to punch cattle on a
car down to Chicago."

Reynolds looked surprised. "What fur do you want to go to Chicago, Mose?
I never have knew you to mention hit befo'."

Mose felt his skin growing red. "Well, I just thought I'd like to take a
turn in the States and see the elephant."

"You'll see the hull circus if you go to Chicago," said Mrs. Reynolds.
"They say it's a terrible wicked place."

"I don't suppose it's any worse than Wagon Wheel, ma," said Cora.

"Yes, but it's so much bigger."

"Well, mother," said Reynolds, "a bear is bigger than a ho'net, but the
ho'net can give him points and beat him, suah thing."

Mose was rather glad of this diversion, for when Reynolds spoke again it
was to say: "I reckon I can fix it for you. When do you want it?"

"Right off, this week."

"Be gone long?"

Cora waited anxiously for his answer, and his hesitation and uncertainty
of tone made her heart grow heavy.

"Oh, no--only a short trip, I reckon. Got to get back before my money
gives out."

He did not intend to enter the revolver contest, but it offered so easy
to his hand that he went in and won hands down. His arm was lame, but
his nerves, not fevered by whi