king for the hot-headed cowpuncher.

Both men stood up as she entered. Arizona dragged his slouch hat off
with clumsy haste.

"Boys," the girl said at once, "I've come to ask you for a little
help."

[Illustration: Left alone with her patient she had little to do but
reflect]

"Makes me glad, missie," said the cowpuncher, with alacrity.

Joe contented himself with an upward glance of inquiry.

Diane nodded with an assumption of brightness.

"Well, it's this," she said. "Jack mustn't be left for the next few
days. Now, I am his nurse, but I have household duties to perform and
shall be forced to leave him at times. You, Arizona, won't be able to
do anything in the daytime, because you are occupied on the ranch. But
I thought you, Joe, could help me by being in the kitchen as much as
possible. You see, in the kitchen you can hear the least sound coming
from up-stairs. The room is directly overhead. In that way I shall be
free to do my house."

"Guess you had trouble fixin' him up-stairs?" Joe inquired slowly.
"Doc. Osler wus sayin' somethin' 'fore he went."

Diane turned away. The shrewd old eyes were reading her like a book.

"Yes, father wanted him put in the bunkhouse."

"Ah." Joe's twisted face took on a curious look. "Yes, I guess I ken
do that. What's to happen o' night time?"

"Oh, I can sit up with him. The night is all right," the girl returned
easily.

"Guess we'd best take it turn about like," Joe suggested.

"No, it wouldn't do."

"Guess it wouldn't do. That's so," the other observed thoughtfully.
"Howsum, I ken set around the kitchen o' nights. I shan't need no
lights. Y' see, wi' the door open right into the hall ther' ain't no
sound but what I'll hear."

The man's meaning was plain enough, but the girl would not take it.

"No," she said, "it's in the daytime I want you."

"Daytime? I guess that's fixed." Joe looked up dissatisfied.

At this juncture Arizona broke in with a scheme for his own
usefulness.

"Say, missie, any time o' night you jest tap hard on that windy I'll
know you want the doc. fetchin'. An' I'll come right along up an' git
orders. I'll be waitin' around."

The girl looked him squarely in the eyes, seeking the meaning that lay
behind his words. But the man's expression was sphinx-like. She felt
that these rough creatures, instead of acting as advisers, had assumed
the responsibilities she had only asked their assistance in.

"You are good fellows both. I can't t