aves us with all the old stock disposed of,
and nothing but young and vigorous animals with which to begin building
up again," said Kit, who had a great head for the cattle business and a
faculty for seeing into the future.

"What aire we goin' ter do with all this yere mazuma?" asked Bud,
looking over the stacks of fifties, twenties, tens, and fives that lay
on the table around which they were sitting in the living room, and
which was flanked by piles of gold and a few hundred-dollar bills.

"Can't get it into the bank until day after to-morrow," said Ted. "We'll
be too busy to-morrow looking after our guests, and I don't suppose
we'll be free until after the dance to-morrow night. Still, I'm not
worrying about it. We know everybody here to-night, and I'll take care
of it till we can ride over to Strongburg and bank it."

Just then the door blew open with a bang, and big Ben scurried in,
bringing with him a blast of prairie wind, crisp and chill from the
mountain, that scattered the greenbacks all over the room, and two or
three of the fives were blown into the fire and incinerated before any
one could rescue them.

"Close that door!" shouted Bud, grasping frantically at the money that
was capering over the top of the table.

Ben closed the door with a slam that shook the house.

"'A fool and his money is soon parted,'" quoted Ben, when he saw the
havoc wrought by the wind.

"You bet," said Kit "Three fives blew into the fireplace, and are no
more. We'll just charge them to your account."

"Like dolly, you will!" said Ben.

"If it hadn't been for you they wouldn't be there. What's the reason we
won't?"

"Because you won't. I didn't make the wind."

"No, but consarn ye, ye let it in, an' ye're an accessory before er
after ther fact. I reckon both," said Bud.

"Let it go, boys," said Ted. "Pick up the bills, and we'll count and
stack them again."

"Where have you been, anyway?" asked Kit, addressing Ben.

"Down beddin' my show for the night. They're about all in now. All
except the music, which will be here in the morning," replied Ben. "I'm
not at all stuck on myself, but--"

"Oh, no, you've got a very poor opinion of yourself, I guess," said Kit.

"But I want to say that I think I got the bunkie-doodelest show that
ever paced the glimmering, gleaming, gloaming grass of Moon Valley."

"Listen to the hombre explode," said Bud. "He's tryin' ter be a feeble
imitation o' a real showman. I'll bet he show