eems to me."

"How is that?" Carolyn June questioned.

"Well, for one thing," Skinny replied, "he says any man or woman a horse
don't trust ain't a good man or woman for a human to depend on--says
they ain't right inside! It looks to me like that's a pretty hard slam
on people just because some darned idiot of a broncho won't make up with
them!"

Carolyn June leaned back in the saddle and laughed.

"Some 'range philosopher'--this Ramblin' Kid person!" she exclaimed
lightly. "Where did he come from and who is he, anyway?"

"Nobody knows," Skinny answered; "he just kind of growed up, here in
the Southwest. I've heard that his mother died when he was born and his
father was a preacher or something doing missionary work--I reckon
that's what you'd call it--among the Mexicans and Indians and got the
smallpox while he was nursing them through an epidemic and it killed
him, which left th' Ramblin' Kid an orphan when he wasn't much more than
a baby. The Mexicans or Indians took care of him till he was old enough
to ride and then he began to ramble around and has always kept it up
just as if he was hunting for something--"

"How interesting!" Carolyn June exclaimed, "almost like a story!"

"It is kind of unusual," Skinny continued, "of course it may not all be
true, but one thing is sure--th' Ramblin' Kid seems to have some sort of
fascination for the Greasers and the Indians; they all worship him, and
he's a witch when it comes to handling horses!"

"He seems to be," Carolyn June commented thoughtfully.

"Yes," Skinny answered, "look how that Gold Dust maverick has made right
up with him--I don't believe she ever will have anything to do with
anybody else!"

Carolyn June laughed softly to herself. She did not tell Skinny of her
visits to the circular corral and that the outlaw mare already had
accepted her as a good friend.

She and Skinny loafed idly as far down the valley as the Narrows, and
when Sing Pete sounded the supper gong they were again back at the
house.

After the evening meal the cowboys hung around the house for a while
until a suggestive look from Old Heck caused them reluctantly to follow
him to the bunk-house, leaving Parker and Skinny with Ophelia and
Carolyn June.

It was the foreman's last evening with the widow before the beef
round-up. She was rather diffident and held him in safe channels of
conversation. Skinny and Carolyn June sat on the porch until it was
quite dark, then went into th