"Very good," said I, "we'll go now--they've got a fire there, and are
cooking, I suppose."

Mandy left me, and I went for my own horse. Presently we three, all
mounted, met at the bank. Taking the girl between us, Mandy and I
started, and the three horses plunged down the bank. As it chanced, we
struck a deep channel at the send-off, and the horses were at once
separated. The girl was swept out of her saddle, but before I could
render any assistance she called out not to be alarmed. I saw that she
was swimming, down stream from the horse, with one hand on the pommel.
Without much concern, she reached footing on the bar at which the horse
scrambled up.

"Now I'm good and wet," laughed she. "It won't make any difference after
this. I see now how the squaws do."

We plunged on across the stream, keeping our saddles for most of the
way, sometimes in shallow water, sometimes on dry, sandy bars, and now
and again in swift, swirling channels; but at last we got over and fell
upon the steaks of buffalo and the hot coffee which we found at the
fire. The girl presently left us to make such changes in her apparel as
she might. Mandy and I were left alone once more.

"It seems to me like it certainly is too bad," said she bitterly, over
her pipe stem, "that there don't seem to be no real man around nowhere
fittin' to marry a real woman. That gal's good enough for a real man,
like my first husband was."

"What could he do?" I asked her, smiling.

"Snuff a candle at fifty yards, or drive a nail at forty. He nach'elly
scorned to bring home a squirrel shot back of the ears. He killed four
men in fair knife fightin', an' each time come free in co'te. He was six
foot in the clean, could hug like a bar, and he wa'n't skeered of
anything that drawed the breath of life."

"Tell me, Aunt Mandy," I said, "tell me how he came courting you,
anyway."

"He never did no great at co'tin'," said she, grinning. "He just come
along, an' he sot eyes on me. Then he sot eyes on me again. I sot eyes
on him, too."

"Yes?"

"One evenin', says he, 'Mandy, gal, I'm goin' to marry you all right
soon.'

"Says I, '_No_, you ain't!'

"Says he, '_Yes_, I air!' I jest laughed at him then and started to run
away, but he jumped and ketched me--I told you he could hug like a bar.
Mebbe I wasn't hard to ketch. Then he holds me right tight, an' says
he,' Gal, quit this here foolin'. I'm goin' to marry you, you
hear!--then maybe he kisses me--law! I dun