nce that
accompanies the rolling of corn-husk cigarettes. The water hole shone
from the dark earth like a patch of fallen sky. Coyotes yelped. Dull
thumps indicated the rocking-horse movements of the hobbled ponies as
they moved to fresh grass. A half-troop of the Frontier Battalion of
Texas Rangers were distributed about the fire.

A well-known sound--the fluttering and scraping of chaparral against
wooden stirrups--came from the thick brush above the camp. The rangers
listened cautiously. They heard a loud and cheerful voice call out
reassuringly:

"Brace up, Muriel, old girl, we're 'most there now! Been a long
ride for ye, ain't it, ye old antediluvian handful of animated
carpet-tacks? Hey, now, quit a tryin' to kiss me! Don't hold on to my
neck so tight--this here paint hoss ain't any too shore-footed, let me
tell ye. He's liable to dump us both off if we don't watch out."

Two minutes of waiting brought a tired "paint" pony single-footing
into camp. A gangling youth of twenty lolled in the saddle. Of the
"Muriel" whom he had been addressing, nothing was to be seen.

"Hi, fellows!" shouted the rider cheerfully. "This here's a letter fer
Lieutenant Manning."

He dismounted, unsaddled, dropped the coils of his stake-rope, and
got his hobbles from the saddle-horn. While Lieutenant Manning, in
command, was reading the letter, the newcomer, rubbed solicitously at
some dried mud in the loops of the hobbles, showing a consideration
for the forelegs of his mount.

"Boys," said the lieutenant, waving his hand to the rangers, "this
is Mr. James Hayes. He's a new member of the company. Captain McLean
sends him down from El Paso. The boys will see that you have some
supper, Hayes, as soon as you get your pony hobbled."

The recruit was received cordially by the rangers. Still, they
observed him shrewdly and with suspended judgment. Picking a comrade
on the border is done with ten times the care and discretion with
which a girl chooses a sweetheart. On your "side-kicker's" nerve,
loyalty, aim, and coolness your own life may depend many times.

After a hearty supper Hayes joined the smokers about the fire.
His appearance did not settle all the questions in the minds of
his brother rangers. They saw simply a loose, lank youth with
tow-coloured, sun-burned hair and a berry-brown, ingenuous face that
wore a quizzical, good-natured smile.

"Fellows," said the new ranger, "I'm goin' to interduce to you a lady
friend of min