operate
it herself. This had turned out to be so simple, so saving of time and
energy and flour, so much more cleanly than the old method of mixing
dough with the hands, and particularly it had resulted in such good
bread, that Madeline had been pleased. Immediately she ordered more
of the bread-mixers. One day she had happened upon Nels making biscuit
dough in his wash-basin, and she had delicately and considerately
introduced to him the idea of her new method. Nels, it appeared, had a
great reputation as a bread-maker, and he was proud of it. Moreover,
he was skeptical of any clap-trap thing with wheels and cranks. He
consented, however, to let her show how the thing worked and to sample
some of the bread. To that end she had him come up to the house, where
she won him over. Stillwell laughed loud and long.

"Wal, wal, wal!" he exclaimed, at length. "Thet's fine, an' it's
powerful funny. Mebbe you don't see how funny? Wal, Nels has jest been
lordin' it over the boys about how you showed him, an' now you'll hev
to show every last cowboy on the place the same thing. Cowboys are the
jealousest kind of fellers. They're all crazy about you, anyway. Take
Jim out hyar. Why, thet lazy cowpuncher jest never would make bread.
He's notorious fer shirkin' his share of the grub deal. I've knowed Jim
to trade off washin' the pots an' pans fer a lonely watch on a rainy
night. All he wants is to see you show him the same as Nels is crowin'
over. Then he'll crow over his bunkie, Frank Slade, an' then Frank'll
get lonely to know all about this wonderful bread-machine. Cowboys are
amazin' strange critters, Miss Majesty. An' now thet you've begun with
them this way, you'll hev to keep it up. I will say I never seen such a
bunch to work. You've sure put heart in them."

"Indeed, Stillwell, I am glad to hear that," replied Madeline. "And I
shall be pleased to teach them all. But may I not have them all up here
at once--at least those off duty?"

"Wal, I reckon you can't onless you want to hev them scrappin',"
rejoined Stillwell, dryly. "What you've got on your hands now, Miss
Majesty, is to let 'em come one by one, an' make each cowboy think
you're takin' more especial pleasure in showin' him than the feller who
came before him. Then mebbe we can go on with cattle-raisin'."

Madeline protested, and Stillwell held inexorably to what he said was
wisdom. Several times Madeline had gone against his advice, to her utter
discomfiture and ro