t. I'll allers hev it.

"Thet war ther end. Bolus wouldn't eat fur three days, then he cut me
dead and went off ter a neighbor's whar ther war a white woman, and would
niver cum back.

"I stood it three months. I thot I should die uv the blues.

"One day a man from ther No'th stopped off at ther ranch fur the night.
After supper he said he war a-lookin fur a stock ranch fur his son. I
said, 'Why not buy mine?'

"Then he asked all 'er 'bout it; how many acres; how much stock; 'bout
the water, and what my price war.

"I told him $30,000. In the mornin' he gits a hoss, rode round with ther
boys, and when he cum back, went down inter his pocket, drew out er
wallet, and counted out thirty $1,000 gold notes, saying: 'I will take
ther place.'

"'It's a go,' says I.

"We went ter town and hed ther papers fixed up. That war last February.
Then I started out, went slow round ter New York, then over here; I've
been up to Scotland, over to Wales; been to France once; jest cum over
from Ireland, and ev'ry day I ride 'bout twenty miles in this 'ere town,
and I've never found any end to it yet, 'cept when I went on ther keers'
'nd thet day I went ter ther races. I believe it's bigger'n all Texas,
and its very size worries me."

"What have you marked out for the future?" asked Sedgwick.

"Not a blamed thing," was the response.

"How would you like to take a trip with me?" asked Sedgwick.

"I'll go ter any place yo' say, Jim; I don't keer how fur," said the
candid man.

"Do not promise too quickly," said Sedgwick. "I am thinking of starting
for South Africa in two or three days."

"South Africa goes, if yo' say so," said Jordan; "I'm yours truly, blast
my broad-horned heart if I ain't."

"Well, old friend, it is growing late. If you will be here to-morrow
morning at eight I will tell you all that is on my mind," said Sedgwick,
rising.

"I'll be har," said Jordan.

Sedgwick stopped to settle the bill, but Jordan pushed him aside, saying,
"Not to any particular extent, if we knows ourself." He tossed a tip to
the waiter, paid the bill, and was going to add a shilling for the young
woman who was the cashier, when, glancing up at her, he changed his mind
and made it a guinea, because, as he explained, "Her hand war sunthin'
like Maggie's."

The friends separated at the door.

It was eleven p.m. when Sedgwick reached the Hamlin house. He would not
have gone at that hour, except that he had been given a pass-key on the