e of all their wooing, Miss Woppit hardened her heart against
these three gentlemen, any one of whom the highest lady in the land might
have been proud to catch. The girl was not inclined to affairs of the
heart; she cared for no man but her brother Jim. What seemed to suit her
best was to tend to things about the cabin--it was called The Bower, the
poet Jake Dodsley having given it that name--to till the little garden
where the hollyhocks grew, and to stroll away by herself on the hillside
or down through Magpie Glen, beside the gulch. A queer, moodful creature
she was; unlike other girls, so far as we were able to judge. She just
doted on Jim, and Jim only--how she loved that brother you shall know
presently.

It was lucky that we organized a city government when we did. All
communities have streaks of bad luck, and it was just after we had
elected a mayor, a marshal, and a full quota of officers that Red Hoss
Mountain had a spell of experiences that seemed likely at one time to
break up the camp. There 's no telling where it all would have ended if
we had n't happened to have a corps of vigilant and brave men in office,
determined to maintain law and order at all personal hazards. With a
camp, same as 'tis with dogs, it is mighty unhealthy to get a bad name.

The tidal wave of crime--if I may so term it--struck us three days after
the election. I remember distinctly that all our crowd was in at
Casey's, soon after nightfall, indulging in harmless pleasantries, such
as eating, drinking, and stud poker. Casey was telling how he had turned
several cute tricks on election day, and his recital recalled to others
certain exciting experiences _they_ had had in the states; so, in an
atmosphere of tobacco, beer, onions, wine, and braggadocio, and with the
further delectable stimulus of seven-year-old McBrayer, the evening
opened up congenially and gave great promise. The boys were convivial,
if not boisterous. But Jim Woppit, wearing the big silver star of his
exalted office on his coat-front, was present in the interests of peace
and order, and the severest respect was shown to the newly elected
representative of municipal dignity and authority.

All of a sudden, sharp, exacting, and staccato-like, the telephone
sounded; seemed like it said, "Quick--trouble--help!" By the merest
chance--a lucky chance--Jim Woppit happened to be close by, and he
reached for the telephone and answered the summons.

"Yes." "Wher