ain. He had ridden twenty-three
miles out of his way to catch a glimpse of the newly arrived mistress of
the Lazy D, the report of whose good looks and adventures had traveled
hand in hand through many canons even to the heart of the Tetons. It had
been on Skunk Creek that he had heard of her three days before, and now
he had come to verify the tongue of rumor, to see her quite casually, of
course, and do his own appraising. It began to look as if he were going
to have to ride off without a glimpse of her.

He nodded toward the house, turning a shade more purple than his native
choleric hue. "Y'u want to bring your boss with y'u, Mac. We been
hearing a right smart lot about her and the boys would admire to
have her present. It's going to be strictly according to Hoyle--no
rough-house plays go, y'understand."

"I'll speak to her about it." Mac's deep amusement did not reach the
surface. He was quite well aware that Slim was playing for time and that
he was too bashful to plump out the desire that was in him. "Great the
way cows are jumpin', ain't it?"

"Sure. Well, I'll be movin' along to Slauson's. I just drapped in on my
way. Thought mebbe y'u hadn't heard tell of the dance."

"Much obliged. Was it for old man Slauson y'u dug up all them togs,
Slim? He'll ce'tainly admire to see y'u in that silk tablecloth y'u got
round your neck."

Slim's purple deepened again. "Y'u go to grass, Mac. I don't aim to ask
y'u to be my valley yet awhile."

"C'rect. I was just wondering do all the Triangle Bar boys ride the
range so handsome?"

"Don't y'u worry about the Triangle Bar boys," advised the embarrassed
Slim, gathering up his bridle reins.

With one more reluctant glance in the direction of the house he rode
away. When he reached the corral he looked back again. His gaze showed
him the boyish foreman doubled up with laughter; also the sweep of a
white skirt descending from the piazza.

"Now, ain't that hoodooed luck?" the aggrieved rider of the Triangle Bar
outfit demanded of himself, "I made my getaway about three shakes too
soon, by gum!"

Her foreman was in the throes of mirth when Helen Messiter reached him.

"Include me in the joke," she suggested.

"Oh, I was just thinkin'," he explained inadequately.

"Does it always take you that way?"

"About these boys that drop in so frequent on business these days. Funny
how fond they're getting of the Lazy D. There was that stock detective
happened in yesterday to