, but for all that she was at ease and natural.

She stopped in front of him and smiled.

"Do you mind going over to the Diamond K with me this morning?" she
asked.

"What for?" he said gruffly, reddening as he thought she might see the
admiration which was slumbering in his eyes.

"To buy some cattle," she returned. "Kelton, of the Diamond K, hasn't
been fortunate this season. Little Darby has been dry nearly all of
the time and there has been little good grass on his range. In the
first place, he had too much stock, even if conditions were right. I
have heard that Kelton offered to pay the Taggarts for the use of part
of their grass, but they have never been friends and the Taggarts
wanted to charge him an outrageous price for the privilege. Therefore,
Kelton is anxious to get rid of some of his stock. We need cattle and
we can get them from him at a reasonable figure. He has some white
Herefords that I would like to get."

He cleared his throat and hesitated, frowning.

"Why don't you take Dade--or Malcolm?" he suggested.

She looked straight at him. "Don't be priggish," she said. "Dade and
Malcolm have nothing to do with the running of this ranch. I want you
to go with me, because I am going to buy some cattle and I want you to
confirm the deal."

He laughed. "Do you reckon you need to go at all?" he said. "I figure
to know cattle some myself, an' I wouldn't let Kelton hornswoggle me."

She straightened, her chin lifting a little. "Well," she said slowly,
"if that is the way you feel, I presume I shall have to go alone. I
had thought, though, that the prospective owner of the Lazy Y might
have enough interest in his property to put aside his likes and
dislikes long enough to care for his own interests. Also," she added,
"where I came from, no man would be ungentlemanly enough to refuse to
accompany a lady anywhere she might ask him to go."

The flush on his face grew. But he refused to become disconcerted. "I
reckon to be as much of a gentleman as any Texas guy," he said. "But I
expect, though," he added; "to prove that to you I'll have to trail
along after you."

"Of course," she said, the corners of her mouth dimpling a little.

He went down to the corral, roped the most gentle and best appearing
one of the two horses he had bought in Lazette, caught up his own
horse, Blackleg, and brought them to the stable, where he saddled and
bridled them. Before putting the bridle on her horse