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the corrals； displaying a sullen back； while I was presenting Mr。 McLean
to the lady。
Overtaken by his cow…puncher shyness； Lin was greeting her with
ungainly ceremony； when she began at once； 〃You'll excuse me； but I just
had to have my laugh。〃
〃That's all right； m'm；〃 said he； 〃don't mention it。〃
〃For that boy； you know〃
〃I'll fix him； m'm。 He'll not insult yu' no more。 I'll speak to him。〃
〃Now； please don't！ Whywhyyou were every bit as bad！〃 Miss
Buckner pealed out； joyously。 〃It was the two of you。 Oh dear！〃
Mr。 McLean looked crestfallen。 〃I had noI didn't go to〃
〃Why； there was no harm！ To see him mean so well and you mean so
well； andI know I ought to behave better！〃
〃No； yu' oughtn't！〃 said Lin； with sudden ardor； and then； in a voice of
deprecation； 〃You'll think us plumb ignorant。〃
〃You know enough to be kind to folks；〃 said she。
〃We'd like to。〃
〃It's the only thing makes the world go round！〃 she declared； with an
emotion that I had heard in her tone once or twice already。 But she caught
herself up； and said gayly to me； 〃And where's that house you were going
to build for a lone girl to sleep in？〃
〃I'm afraid the foundations aren't laid yet；〃 said I。
〃Now you gentlemen needn't bother about me。〃
〃We'll have to； m'm。 You ain't used to Separ。〃
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〃Oh； I am notenderfoot； don't you call them？〃 She whipped out her
pistol； and held it at the cow…puncher； laughing。
This would have given no pleasure to me； but over Lin's features went
a glow of delight； and he stood gazing at the pointed weapon and the girl
behind it。 〃My！〃 he said； at length； almost in a whisper； 〃she's got the drop
on me！〃
〃I reckon I'd be afraid to shoot that one of yours；〃 said Miss Buckner。
〃But this hits a target real good and straight at fifteen yards。〃 And she
handed it to him for inspection。
He received it； hugely grinning； and turned it over and over。 〃My！〃 he
murmured again。 〃Why； shucks！〃 He looked at Miss Buckner with stark
rapture； caressing the polished revolver at the same time with a fond；
unconscious thumb。 〃You hold it just as steady as I could；〃 he said with
pride； and added； insinuatingly； 〃I could learn yu' the professional drop in
a morning。 This here is a little dandy gun。〃
〃You'd not trade； though；〃 said she； 〃for all your flattery。〃
〃Will yu' trade？〃 pounced Lin。 〃Won't yu'？〃
〃Now； Mr。 McLean； I am afraid you're thoughtless。 How could a girl
like me ever hold that awful 。45 Colt steady？〃
〃She knows the brands； too！〃 cried Lin； in ecstasy。 〃See here；〃 he
remarked to me with a manner that smacked of command； 〃we're losing
time right now。 You go and tell the agent to hustle and fix his room up for
a lady； and I'll bring her along。〃
I found the agent willing； of course； to sleep on the floor of the office。
The toy station was also his home。 The front compartment held the ticket
and telegraph and mail and express chattels； and the railing； and room for
the public to stand； through a door you then passed to the sitting； dining；
and sleeping box； and through another to a cooking…stove in a pigeon…hole。
Here flourished the agent and his lungs； and here the company's strict
orders bade him sleep in charge； so I helped him put his room to rights。
But we need not have hurried ourselves。 Mr。 McLean was so long in
bringing the lady that I went out and found him walking and talking with
her； while fifty yards away skulked poor Texas； alone。 This boy's name
was； like himself； of the somewhat unexpected order； being Manassas
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Donohoe。
As I came towards the new friends they did not appear to be joking；
and on seeing me Miss Buckner said to Lin； 〃Did he know？〃
Lin hesitated。
〃You did know！〃 she exclaimed； but lost her resentment at once； and
continued； very quietly and with a friendly tone； 〃I reckon you don't like to
have to tell folks bad news。〃
It was I that now hesitated。
〃Not to a strange girl； anyway！〃 said she。 〃Well； now I have good news
to tell you。 You would not have given me any shock if you had said you
knew about poor Nate； for that's the reasonOf course those things can't
be secrets！ Why； he's only twenty； sir！ How should he know about this
world？ He hadn't learned the first little thing when he left home five years
ago。 And I am twenty…threeold enough to be Nate's grandmother； he's
that young and thoughtless。 He couldn't ever realize bad companions when
they came around。 See that！〃 She showed me a paper； taking it out like a
precious thing； as indeed it was； for it was a pardon signed by Governor
Barker。 〃And the Governor has let me carry it to Nate myself。 He won't
know a thing about it till I tell him。 The Governor was real kind； and we
will never forget him。 I reckon Nate must have a mustache by now？〃 said
she to Lin。
〃Yes；〃 Lin answered； gruffly； looking away from her； 〃he has got a
mustache all right。〃
〃He'll be glad to see you；〃 said I； for something to say。
〃Of course he will！ How many hours did you say we will be？〃 she
asked Lin； turning from me again； for Mr。 McLean had not been losing
time。 It was plain that between these two had arisen a freemasonry from
which I was already shut out。 Her woman's heart had answered his right
impulse to tell her about her brother； and I had been found wanting！
So now she listened over again to the hours of stage jolting that 〃we〃
had before us； and that lay between her and Nate。 〃We would be four
herself； Lin； myself； and the boy Billy。 Was Billy the one at supper？ Oh no；
just Billy Lusk； of Laramie。 〃He's a kid I'm taking up the country；〃 Lin
explained。 〃Ain't you most tuckered out？〃
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〃Oh； me！〃 she confessed； with a laugh and a sigh。
There again！ She had put aside my solicitude lightly； but was willing
Lin should know her fatigue。 Yet； fatigue and all； she would not sleep in
the agent's room。 At sight of it and the close quarters she drew back into
the outer office； so prompted by that inner； unsuspected strictness she had
shown me before。
〃Come out！〃 she cried； laughing。 〃Indeed； I thank you。 But I can't have
you sleep on this hard floor out here。 No politeness； now！ Thank you ever
so much。 I'm used to roughing it pretty near as well as if I wasa
cowboy！〃 And she glanced at Lin。 〃They're calling forty…seven；〃 she added
to the agent。
〃That's me；〃 he said； coming out to the telegraph instrument。 〃So
you're one of us？〃
〃I didn't know forty…seven meant Separ；〃 said I。 〃How in the world do
you know that？〃
〃I didn't。 I heard forty…seven； forty…seven； forty…seven； start and go
right along； so I guessed they wanted him； and he couldn't hear them from
his room。〃
〃Can yu' do astronomy and Spanish too？〃 inquired the proud and
smiling McLean。
〃Why； it's nothing！ I've been day operator back home。 Why is a deputy
coming through on a special engine？〃
〃Please don't say it out loud！〃 quavered the agent； as the machine
clicked its news。
〃Yu' needn't be scared of a girl；〃 said Lin。 〃Another sheriff！ So they're
not quit bothering us yet。〃
However； this meddling was not the company's； but the county's； a
sheriff sent to arrest； on a charge of murder； a man named Trampas； said to
be at the Sand Hill Ranch。 That was near Rawhide； two stations beyond；
and the engine might not stop at Separ； even to water。 So here was no
molesting of Separ's liberties。
〃All the same；〃 Lin said； for pistols now and then still sounded at the
corrals； 〃the boys'll not understand that till it's explained； and they may act
wayward first。 I'd feel easier if you slept here；〃 he urged to the girl。 But
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she would not。 〃Well； then； we must rustle some other private place for
you。 Ho