un-man, same as we
had in Texas, when I ranched there in the 'seventies. But he can't fit
nowhere now; he can't hold a job, an' he's goin' down."

"I am sorry to hear it," murmured Madeline. "But, Mr. Stillwell, aren't
these modern days out here just a little wild--yet? The conductor on
my train told me of rebels, bandits, raiders. Then I have had other
impressions of--well, that were wild enough for me."

"Wal, it's some more pleasant an' excitin' these days than for many
years," replied Stillwell. "The boys hev took to packin' guns again. But
thet's owin' to the revolution in Mexico. There's goin' to be trouble
along the border. I reckon people in the East don't know there is a
revolution. Wal, Madero will oust Diaz, an' then some other rebel will
oust Madero. It means trouble on the border an' across the border, too.
I wouldn't wonder if Uncle Sam hed to get a hand in the game. There's
already been holdups on the railroads an' raids along the Rio Grande
Valley. An' these little towns are full of Greasers, all disturbed by
the fightin' down in Mexico. We've been hevin' shootin'-scrapes an'
knifin'-scrapes, an' some cattle-raidin'. I hev been losin' a few cattle
right along. Reminds me of old times; an' pretty soon if it doesn't
stop, I'll take the old-time way to stop it."

"Yes, indeed, Majesty," put in Alfred, "you have hit upon an interesting
time to visit us."

"Wal, thet sure 'pears to be so," rejoined Stillwell. "Stewart got in
trouble down heah to-day, an' I'm more than sorry to hev to tell you
thet your name figgered in it. But I couldn't blame him, fer I sure
would hev done the same myself."

"That so?" queried Alfred, laughing. "Well, tell us about it."

Madeline simply gazed at her brother, and, though he seemed amused at
her consternation, there was mortification in his face.

It required no great perspicuity, Madeline thought, to see that
Stillwell loved to talk, and the way he squared himself and spread his
huge hands over his knees suggested that he meant to do this opportunity
justice.

"Miss Majesty, I reckon, bein' as you're in the West now, thet you must
take things as they come, an' mind each thing a little less than the one
before. If we old fellers hedn't been thet way we'd never hev lasted.

"Last night wasn't particular bad, ratin' with some other nights lately.
There wasn't much doin'. But, I had a hard knock. Yesterday when we
started in with a bunch of cattle I sent one of my cowbo