e jolted, Hill said; but the Hen was so cool, and talked so
pleasant and natural about what a nice dinner they'd been having, and
what a fine afternoon it was, he braced up and got to talking easy
too.

Then they all broke for the coach, and got away across the Tesuque
River and on through the sandhills--with Hill cutting away at his
mules and using words to 'em fit to blister their hides off--and when
they fetched the Canada they'd about ketched up again to schedule
time. After the Mexican who kept the Santa Cruz post-office had made
the mess he always did with the mail matter, and had got the cussing
he always got from Hill for doing it, they started off again--coming
slow through that bit of extra heavy road along by the Rio Grande, but
getting to the deepo at Palomitas all serene to ketch the Denver
train.

All the way over from Pojuaque, Hill said, he could see out of the
corner of his eye the old gent was nudging up to the Hen with his
shoulder, friendly and sociable; and he said he noticed the Hen was a
good deal less particular about making room. The old gent flushed up
and got into a regular temper, Hill said, when Wood sung out as they
pulled in to the deepo platform: "Where'd you get your Sage-Brush Hen
from?"--and that way give her what stuck fast for her name.

As it turned out, they might a-kept on a-hashing as long as they'd a
mind to at Pojuaque; and Hill might a-let his mules take it easy,
without tiring himself swearing at 'em, on a dead walk--there being a
wash-out in the Comanche Canon, up above the Embudo, that held the
train. It wasn't much of a wash-out, the conductor said; but he said
he guessed all hands likely'd be more comfortable waiting at
Palomitas, where there was things doing, than they would be setting
still in the canon while the track-gang finished their job--and he
said he reckoned the train wouldn't start for about three hours.

* * * * *

The Hen and the old gent was standing on the deepo platform, where
they'd landed from the coach; and Hill said as he was taking his
mails across to the express-car he heard him asking her once more if
she hadn't better come right along East to her lonely babe; and
promising to take a father's care of her all the way. The Hen seemed
to be in two minds about it for a minute, Hill said, and then she
thanked him, sweet as sugar, for his goodness to her in her time of
trouble; and told him it would be a re