er some of the cowboys from both ranches came in to have a
talk with their employers. Every one of them was smoking a pipe, as they
could always buy tobacco at the store. The stock in the little store had
about doubled since Fred and Terry went north, showing that a good
business had been done.

"Jack, does the storekeeper keep his accounts straight?"

"Oh, yes. I watch him very closely. I think he is an honest man too, and
he doesn't sell anything on a credit except to the cowboys on your ranch
and mine. Other cowboys come in and want credit, but I told him not to
credit anybody off of our two ranches, as we can then always know how
much they owe before paying them off. The storekeeper says that cowboys
are generally careless about paying debts, except in bar-rooms."

Before going to bed, Fred and Terry measured the size of the two rooms
that they wanted to fit up for Evelyn, and Fred boarded the first
freight train engine that went up the next morning and so reached
Crabtree before Evelyn had finished her breakfast. She was very much
surprised at seeing him.

"Fred," said she, "where is brother?"

"He is down at the ranch, just the happiest boy you ever saw in your
life. He had milked two of the cows by sunrise this morning."

"I never knew brother to do such a thing before in his life," she
laughed. "How many cows are there?'

"Oh, about a dozen, and their milk is as rich as butter, and as yellow
as gold. It would tickle you to death to see Jack feed the little pigs
buttermilk. Each little pig tries to get more of it than his neighbor,
and then just to think, too, we have a good flock of chickens, those we
bought before we went up North; and Jack has never killed one. On the
contrary, he has bought upwards of a dozen hens, and the barn lot is
just overrun with little ones."

"Why, hasn't he killed any of them. Fred? Doesn't he like chicken?"

"Yes, he is very fond of them; but the quails and prairie chickens
actually come up and beg to be shot, and he has never had a chance at an
unlimited supply of game before in his life."

"Oh, Fred, when are you going back down there?"

"I'm going to-night."

"Well, can I go back with you?"

"Not just yet. I want you to go with me, though, and help me select two
carpets, which will be on the floor of your home."

So she ran upstairs and got her hat and gloves, and went out with him.

She wanted to select coarse ingrain carpets, saying that fine carpets
were not