hat the
boss's wife was a "swell piece," and his youthful mind was eager to
verify the opinion.

"How do they call you then?" Elvine took the reins and threw them back
over the horse's head, and examined the cinching of the saddle with the
touch of experience.

"Mostly a 'mule-headed bussock,' ma'am. Sometimes I allow they change
it to 'slap-sided hoboe,' or somethin' more fancy. But that's jest the
ignorant bums that ain't got no more learnin' than'll let 'em lose
their cents reg'lar at 'draw.' Ther's others who don't jest use
langwidge--only their feet. Then ther's the foreman, Lal Hobhouse.
Mebbe you ain't acquainted yet--you bein' new around these parts. He's
a fine bully feller till he gits mad. Then he's mean, ma'am. Guess
he's most as mean as a skunk. He needs watching if you want to get on
a racket. I don't guess he ever laffed in his life. Not even at a
cirkis. Yep. He's a holy terror when he's mad. He cowhided me
t'other day so I ain't sat right in a week. If he was to start in to
fix you that way, why----"

"I don't guess he'll cowhide me," said Elvine quickly, as she swung
herself into the saddle. "I'm not likely go on a racket." Then she
leaned forward over the horn of the saddle, and smiled down into the
unclean face gawking up at her. "How'd you fancy looking after my
horses and saddle and things? I mean just look after them for me, and
nothing else?"

The boy's eyes lit.

"Bully!" he cried eagerly. "That way I wouldn't have to wash lousy
clothes for the bunkhouse. Would I? Then they wouldn't be able to
fire rocks at me when I sassed 'em. Bully!"

"I'll speak to Lal Hobhouse about it."

The hope died out of the boy's eyes.

"You won't tell him wot I said, ma'am?" he pleaded. "You see, I was
jest settin' you wise, you bein' new around here. It ain't friendly
not to put folks wise, is it? He's a bully feller sure, ma'am, an' I
ain't got a word agin him. I hain't reely. I wouldn't 'a' sed a word
if I'd tho't----"

"Don't you worry, boy," Elvine cried, as she turned her horse about.
"I wouldn't give you away. I wouldn't give anybody away--now. You
see, you never know how things of that sort can come back on you."

The obvious relief in the boy's dirty face was more than sufficient to
bring back the smile to Elvine's eyes, which, for the moment, had
become almost painfully serious. But as she rode away leaving the boy
gawking after her she quickly returned to the mo