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wedding。〃
〃That is； if you are。〃
〃If I amyes。 Y'u can't most always tell when they have eyes like
hers。〃
〃You're quite an authority on the sex considering your years。〃
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〃Yes； ma'am。〃 He looked aggrieved； thinking himself a man grown。
〃How did y'u say Mr。 Bannister was？〃
〃Wait； and I'll send Nora out to tell you；〃 she flashed； and disappeared
in the house。
Conversation at the bunkhouse and the chucktent sometimes circled
around the young women at the house； but its personality rarely grew
pronounced。 References to Helen Messiter and the housemaid were
usually by way of repartee at each other。 For a change had come over the
spirit of the Lazy D men； and； though a cheerful profanity still flowed
freely when they were alone together； vulgarity was largely banished。
The morning after his conversation with Miss Messiter； McWilliams
was washing in the foreman's room when the triangle beat the call for
breakfast； and he heard the cook's raucous 〃Come and get it。〃 There was
the usual stampede for the tent； and a minute later Mac flung back the flap
and entered。 He took the seat at the head of the table； along the benches on
both sides of which the punchers were plying busy knives and forks。
〃A stack of chips；〃 ordered the foreman； and the cook's 〃Coming up〃
was scarcely more prompt than the plate of hot cakes he set before the
young man。
〃Hen fruit； sunny side up；〃 shouted Reddy； who was further advanced
in his meal。
〃Tame that fog…horn； son；〃 advised Wun Hop； but presently he slid
three fried eggs from a frying…pan into the plate of the hungry one。
〃I want y'u boys to finish flankin' that bunch of hill calves to…day；〃 said
the foreman； emptying half a jug of syrup over his cakes。
〃Redtop； he ain't got no appetite these days；〃 grinned Denver； as the
gentleman mentioned cleaned up a second loaded plate of ham； eggs and
fried potatoes。 〃I see him studying a Wind River Bible* yesterday。 Curious
how in the spring a young man's fancy gits to wandering on house
furnishing。 Red； he was taking the catalogue alphabetically。 Carpets was
absorbin' his attention； chairs on deck； and chandeliers in the hole； as we
used to say when we was baseball kids。〃
＇*A Wind River Bible in the Northwest ranch country is a catalogue of
one of the big Chicago department stores that does a large shipping
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business in the West。＇
〃Ain't a word of truth in it；〃 indignantly denied the assailed； his
unfinished nose and chin giving him a pathetic； whipped puppy look。 〃Sho！
I was just looking up saddles。 Can't a fellow buy a new saddle without
asking leave of Denver？〃
〃Cyarpets used to begin with a C in my spelling…book； but saddles got
off right foot fust with a S；〃 suggested Mac amiably。
〃He was ce'tainly trying to tree his saddle among the C's。 He was
looking awful loving at a Turkish rug。 Reckon he thought it was a saddle…
blanket；〃 derided Denver cheerfully。
〃Huh！ Y'u're awful smart； Denver；〃 retaliated Reddy； his complexion
matching his hair。 〃Y'u talk a heap with your mouth。 Nobody believes a
word of what y'u say。〃
Denver relaxed into a range song by way of repartee：
〃I want mighty bad to be married； To have a garden and a home； I
ce'tainly aim to git married； And have a gyurl for my own。〃
〃Aw！ Y'u fresh guys make me tired。 Y'u don't devil me a bit； not a bit。
Whyfor should I care what y'u say？ I guess this outfit ain't got no surcingle
on me。〃 Nevertheless； he made a hurried end of his breakfast and flung out
of the tent。
〃Y'u boys hadn't ought to wound Reddy's tender feelings； and him so
bent on matrimony！〃 said Denver innocently。 〃Get a move on them fried
spuds and sashay them down this way； if there's any left when y'u fill your
plate； Missou。〃
Nor was Reddy the only young man who had dreams those days at the
Lazy D。 Cupid must have had his hands full； for his darts punctured more
than one honest plainsman's heart。 The reputation of the young women at
the Lazy D seemed to travel on the wings of the wind； and from far and
near Cattleland sent devotees to this shrine of youth and beauty。 So
casually the victims drifted in； always with a good business excuse
warranted to endure raillery and sarcasm； that it was impossible to say
they had come of set purpose to sun themselves in feminine smiles。
As for Nora； it is not too much to say that she was having the time of
her life。 Detroit； Michigan； could offer no such field for her expansive
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charms as the Bighorn country； Wyoming。 Here she might have her pick of
a hundred； and every one of them picturesquely begirt with flannel shirt；
knotted scarf at neck； an arsenal that bristled； and a sun…tan that could be
achieved only in the outdoors of the Rockies。 Certainly these knights of
the saddle radiated a romance with which even her floorwalker
〃gentleman friend 〃 could not compete。
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CHAPTER 10。 A SHEPHERD OF
THE DESERT
It had been Helen Messiter's daily custom either to take a ride on her
pony or a spin in her motor car； but since Bannister had been quartered at
the Lazy D her time had been so fully occupied that she had given this up
for the present。 The arrival of Nora Darling； however； took so much work
off her hands that she began to continue her rides and drives。
Her patient was by this time so far recovered that he did not need her
constant attendance and there were reasons why she decided it best to
spend only a minimum of her time with him。 These had to do with her
increasing interest in the man and the need she felt to discourage it。 It had
come to a pretty pass； she told herself scornfully； when she found herself
inventing excuses to take her into the room where this most picturesque of
unhanged scamps was lying。 Most good women are at heart puritans； and
if Helen was too liberal to judge others narrowly she could be none the
less rigid with herself。 She might talk to him of her duty； but it was her
habit to be frank in thought and she knew that something nearer than that
abstraction had moved her efforts in his behalf。 She had fought for his life
because she loved him。 She could deny it no longer。 Nor was the shame
with which she confessed it unmingled with pride。 He was a man to
compel love； one of the mood imperative； chain…armored in the outdoor
virtues of strength and endurance and stark courage。 Her abasement began
only where his superlation ended。 That a being so godlike in equipment
should have been fashioned without a soul； and that she should have given
her heart to him。 This was the fount of her degradation。
It was of these things she thought as she drove in the late afternoon
toward those Antelope Peaks he had first pointed out to her。 She swept
past the scene of the battle and dipped down into the plains for a run to
that western horizon behind the jagged mountain line of which the sun was
radiantly setting in a splash of glorious colors。 Lost in thought； space
slipped under her wheels unnoticed。 Not till her car refused the spur and
slowed to a despondent halt did she observe that velvet night was falling
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over the land。
She prowled round the machine after the fashion of the motorist；
examining details that might be the cause of the trouble。 She discovered
soon enough with instant dismay that the gasolene tank was empty。 Reddy；
always unreliable； must have forgotten to fill it when she told him to。
By the road she must be thirty miles from ho