that he and his foreman
were to divide time in the entertainment of Ophelia. He could have done
it alone just as well as not. Anyway the dual plan was liable to cause
confusion. Oh, well, Parker would be out on the beef hunt next week. By
rights it ought not start for ten days yet, but--well, it wouldn't hurt
to move it up a little. He would do that. Then he remembered the frank
admiration the cowboys had shown toward Carolyn June. This suggested
complications in that direction.

"Thunderation!" he said aloud, "it's a good thing we fixed it up for
just Skinny to make love to her--if we hadn't there'd have been a
regular epidemic of bu'sted hearts on this blamed ranch! There wouldn't
have been a buckaroo on the place that could have kept from mooning
around sentimental--unless it was th' Ramblin' Kid," he added; "that
blamed cuss is too independent and indifferent to fall in love with any
female!"

At the barn Charley and Bert overtook Old Heck. The three unsaddled and
fed their horses and started toward the house for dinner. Sing Pete had
seen them coming and immediately pounded the triangle.

"Th' Ramblin' Kid's gone somewhere again," Bert observed as he noticed
the Gold Dust maverick alone in the circular corral. "Captain Jack's not
with the filly--"

"Yonder th' Ramblin' Kid comes now," Charley said, looking toward the
north; "he's been over to the river--what the devil kind of a
combination is that?" he exclaimed as he got a better view of the horse
coming up the lane. "Him and that girl both are riding Captain Jack."

"Blamed if they ain't," Bert said curiously; "it's a wonder Captain
Jack'll let them. But how does that come, anyhow? Where's Skinny? I
thought it was his job to ride herd on Carolyn June--"

"It is his job," Old Heck interrupted, "I don't understand--something
must have gone wrong," he added excitedly as the stallion with his
double burden drew near. "Carolyn June's all wet and she's lost her
hat."

Turning his horse toward the house, when he reached the end of the lane
and with but a glance at the trio standing at the barn, the Ramblin' Kid
rode straight to the back-yard gate. Old Heck and the cowboys hurried
across the open space and reached the gate just as Carolyn June rather
stiffly dismounted from the little roan. Her hair was disarranged, her
riding suit soiled and wet from the sand and water, but her eyes were
bright, cheeks flushed, and she showed only a trace of nervousness.

"Wh