r Circle KT. The elemental
atmosphere of the range country had completely enveloped her, seemed to
have absorbed her, and made her a part of it. Some way she rather
delighted in this sensation of permanency. Her rescue by the Ramblin'
Kid and the close view she had been able to get of his impulses made her
thrill with a queer mixture of admiration and pity for him even while
his brutal answer when she had apologized for her harsh words still
echoed in her mind.

"Gracious," she thought with a whimsical smile, "things move fast in
this western country!"

She had seen, already, that both her Uncle Josiah and Parker were
yielding to the charms of Ophelia. The fancy made her chuckle. She
remembered Skinny's too rapidly developing tenderness toward herself.
"Poor fellow," she murmured, slowly shaking her head, "I wish he
wouldn't! But I suppose he can't help it--I wonder why men are always
falling in love with me, anyhow? I'm sure I don't try to make them! I
never saw one yet I really wanted to care--" she stopped suddenly while
a warm flush spread over her body as the Ramblin' Kid was imaged rather
vividly in her mind. "Nonsense!" she said aloud with a soft, throaty
laugh. "Carolyn June, you are getting silly!"

She sprang up and went into the house.

"Sing Pete," she said, stepping into the kitchen, "may I have some
sugar--I'd like the lumpy kind if you have it?"

"Sure! You have him sugal--how muchee you want?" as he held out to her a
tin containing squares of the desired article.

"Oh, enough to win a heart!" Carolyn June answered laughing, at the same
time taking a handful from the can.

"You eat him?" Sing Pete asked with a grin.

"No," she replied, "I feed it to broncho--to Gold Dust maverick. Some
folks sprinkle salt on bird's tail to catch him--I put sugar on horse's
tongue to make him love me--"

"Lamblin' Kid, he do that. Allee time him gettee sugal for Clap'n Jack!"

"Feeds 'Clap'n Jack' sugar, does he?" Carolyn June said pensively.
"Captain Jack's a nice little broncho," she added, "he deserves sugar."
She paused a moment. "'Lamblin' Kid's' a funny fellow, don't you think
so, Sing Pete?" she finished idly.

"Not funny--him dangelous!" the Chinaman replied earnestly. "He gettee
velly mad 'cause I puttee butter in can so cat catchee his head in an'
go lound an' lound--buckee like a bloncho--havee lots a good time! He
not talkee much, Lamblin' Kid don't--just dangelous--that's all!"

Carolyn June fel