eady served.

Silently each heaped his plate with the viands before him while Sing
Pete circled the table pouring coffee into the white porcelain cups. The
Quarter Circle KT was famous for the excellence of its grub and the
Chink was an expert cook.

"Lordy, oh, lordy," Old Heck groaned, "it don't seem possible them women
are coming!"

"Maybe they won't," Parker sympathized. "When they get that telegram
they ought to turn around and go back--"

"Chuck's coming!" Bert Lilly exclaimed at that moment and the sound of a
horse stopping suddenly at the front of the house reached the ears of
the group at the table.

"Go ask him if he got an answer, somebody, quick!" Old Heck cried.

As Charley Saunders sprang to his feet Chuck yelled, "They got it and
sent an answer! I got one--" and rushed excitedly through the house and
into the kitchen waving an envelope, twin to the one Skinny had brought
earlier in the day. "They're on Train Number Seventeen, the agent
said--"

"My Gawd!" Old Heck gasped, "what does it say? Give it here!" reaching
for the message the cowboy held in his hand.

"Good lord, it didn't work!" he groaned as he read the telegram and
handed it across the table to Parker.

"Read it out loud," several spoke at once.

"'We've both had it,'" Parker read, "'and are not afraid. Anyhow we
think you are a darned old lovable liar. Will arrive according to
schedule. If you are not a liar we'll nurse you back to health and
happiness. If you are, watch out! Your affectionate but suspicious
little niece Carolyn June Dixon. Postscript: Are there any nice wild,
untamed, young cowboys out there?--Carolyn J.'"

"Hell-fire!" Skinny said, "what'll we do?"

No answer. Chuck went moodily out to attend to his horse, and the meal
was finished in silence. Even Sing Pete seemed deeply depressed. After
supper Old Heck straightened up and in a do-or-die tone said:

"We'll all go out where it's cool and hold a caucus and figure what
ought to be done."

"There ain't nothing we can do but surrender, as far as I can see,"
Parker observed gloomily as they gathered on the porch in front of the
house. "They seem plumb determined to arrive--"

"I've already give up hope," Old Heck answered, "but what will we do
with them when they get here? We can't just brand 'em and turn them
loose on the range."

"I make a motion we elect Skinny to ride herd on 'em!" Bert Lilly
suggested.

"Damned if I do!" Skinny exclaimed uneasily.

"