s reappeared. Crane's Voice came
out of the barn, where he had lain with his eyes to a crack in the wall,
and Peter Big-Voice and Robert Wolf stepped cautiously into view from
behind the slaughter-pen. Old Mary, the cook, suddenly blocked the
kitchen door-way, and, with tremulous lips, asked: "Cowboys gone?"

"Yes, all gone," replied Jennie, much amused.

"Good, good," replied the old woman.

"Where have you been, Mary?"

Her white teeth shone out in a sudden smile. "Ice-house--heap cold."

"What did you go in there for?"

"Cowboy no good--mebbe so shoot."

"They won't hurt you," said Jennie, gently. "Go to work again. The
Captain will take care of you."

"Little Father no got gun--cowboy heap gun."

"Little Father don't need gun now; you are all right," Jennie said, and
the old woman went to her work again, though nervously alert to every
sound.

From nowhere in particular, two sharp-eyed lads sauntered up the road to
play under the office window, so that if any loud word should be spoken
the tribe might know of it.

Jennie and Elsie discussed the situation while sitting at the library
window with a view of the agency front door.

"I can't for the life of me take a serious view of this episode," said
Jennie. "These cowboys wouldn't be so foolish as to fire a first shot.
They are like big, country school-boys."

"The Parkers!" cried Elsie, suddenly. "Where are the Parkers?"

Jennie gasped. "True enough! I had forgotten all about them. I don't
believe they have got back from their ride."

"They will be scared blue. We must send for them."

"I'll have Crane's Voice go at once," said Jennie. "I will go with him."

"Don't do that--not without letting the Captain know. How far is it?"

"Just over the hill--not more than five miles."

But even as she was hurrying across to the corral to find an angel for
this mission of mercy, she saw the Parkers coming down the hill-side,
moving slowly, for both were very bad riders. It was plain they had
heard nothing, and as she watched them approach Jennie cried:

"Don't say a word. They won't see anything suspicious."

There was something irresistibly funny in the calm stateliness of the
blond Parker as he led the way past the store which was deserted of its
patrons, past the school-house where the students were quivering with
excitement, and close beside the office behind whose doors Curtis was
still in legal battle with the sheriff.

Jennie met her visitors a