cooled the jar and its contents.]

"Where's the bell?" asked McGuire, looking about.

"Bell for what?"

"Bell to ring for things. I can't--see here," he exploded in a sudden,
weak fury, "I never asked you to bring me here. I never held you up
for a cent. I never gave you a hard-luck story till you asked me.
Here I am fifty miles from a bellboy or a cocktail. I'm sick. I can't
hustle. Gee! but I'm up against it!" McGuire fell upon the cot and
sobbed shiveringly.

Raidler went to the door and called. A slender, bright-complexioned
Mexican youth about twenty came quickly. Raidler spoke to him in
Spanish.

"Ylario, it is in my mind that I promised you the position of
_vaquero_ on the San Carlos range at the fall _rodea_."

"_Si, senor_, such was your goodness."

"Listen. This _senorito_ [40] is my friend. He is very sick. Place
yourself at his side. Attend to his wants at all times. Have much
patience and care with him. And when he is well, or--and when he is
well, instead of _vaquero_ I will make you _mayordomo_ of the Rancho
de las Piedras. _Esta bueno_? [41]"

[FOOTNOTE 40: senorito--(Spanish) young man, little man]

[FOOTNOTE 41: Esta bueno?--(Spanish) Is that good? Is that
all right?]

"_Si, si--mil gracias [42], senor_." Ylario tried to kneel upon the
floor in his gratitude, but the cattleman kicked at him benevolently,
growling, "None of your opery-house antics, now."

[FOOTNOTE 42: mil gracias--(Spanish) a thousand thanks]

Ten minutes later Ylario came from McGuire's room and stood before
Raidler.

"The little _senor_," he announced, "presents his compliments"
(Raidler credited Ylario with the preliminary) "and desires some
pounded ice, one hot bath, one gin feez-z, that the windows be all
closed, toast, one shave, one Newyorkheral', cigarettes, and to send
one telegram."

Raidler took a quart bottle of whisky from his medicine cabinet.
"Here, take him this," he said.

Thus was instituted the reign of terror at the Solito Ranch. For a
few weeks McGuire blustered and boasted and swaggered before the
cow-punchers who rode in for miles around to see this latest importation
of Raidler's. He was an absolutely new experience to them. He explained
to them all the intricate points of sparring and the tricks of training
and defence. He opened to their minds' view all the indecorous life of a
tagger after professional sports. His jargon of slang was a conti