oman yet. It can't be
done!"

"The woman wouldn't object, would she?" Bert queried.

"Probably not," Charley replied, "at least not as long as double doses
of affection was coming her way. From what I've heard most of 'em sort
of enjoy having as many men make love to 'em as possible, but--" he
paused.

"But what?"

"They kick if a man loves several women at once!" was the sophisticated
reply. "But as far as that's concerned," he continued, speaking as a man
wise in the ways of the world, "men and women ain't much different in
that respect. When it comes to loving, both sides are plumb willing to
divide up 'a-going' but want it to be clean exclusive when it comes to
'coming!'"

"It's funny, ain't it?" Bert commented.

"No, it ain't funny," Charley declared. "It's just natural--"

"Maybe Parker and Old Heck will have a fight about Ophelia," Bert
suggested hopefully. "Which do you suppose would lick?"

"It's hard telling," Charley said thoughtfully. "Old Heck's the
heaviest, but Parker's pretty active."

"Well, it sure does seem like wherever women are trouble is, don't it?"
Bert observed meditatively.

"Blamed if it don't," Charley agreed; "there's something about them
that's plum agitating!"

Old Heck, riding a short distance ahead of the cowboys, was troubled
with similar thoughts. He was trying to analyze his own feelings. Years
without association with womankind had made him come to regard them with
a measure of indifference and suspicion. He had developed the idea that
women existed chiefly for the purpose of disorganizing the morale of the
masculine members of the race. He was very sincere in this belief. Yet
he was forced, now, to confess that he found something interesting in
having a couple of attractive females at the Quarter Circle KT. The
situation was not so disagreeable as he had expected. Already he was
proud of his kinship to Carolyn June. She was a niece worth while.
Ophelia also had proved herself a pleasant surprise. He had pictured her
as a strong-minded, assertive, modernized creature who would probably
discourse continuously and raspingly about the evils of smoking,
profanity, poker, drinking and other natural masculine impulses.
Instead, she had proved herself, so far, a perfect lady. Without doubt
she was the most sensible widow he had ever met. The thought of Parker's
long, intimate ride with her to Eagle Butte made him uncomfortable. It
was a darned fool arrangement--that agreement