train. The next
one that comes along. We're going to be on it all night, too; and we'll
have to eat on it, too."

"Well, by golly, you'll want something to eat, then!" Slim was feeling
abstractedly in his pocket for a coin, for these were the nieces of the
Countess, and therefore claimed more than a cursory interest from
Slim. "You take this up to the store and see if yuh can't swop it for
something good to eat." Because Sary was the smallest of the lot he
pressed the dollar into her shrinking, amazed palm.

"Paw's got more money'n that," Sybilly announced proudly. "Paw's got
a million dollars. A man bought our ranch and gave him a lot of money.
We're rich now. Maybe paw'll buy us a phony-graft. He said maybe he
would. And maw's goin' to have a blue silk dress with green onto it.
And--"

"Better haze along and buy that grub stake," Slim interrupted the family
gift for profuse speech. He had caught the boys grinning, and fancied
that they were tracing a likeness between the garrulity of Sybilly and
the fluency of her aunt, the Countess. "You don't want that train to go
off and leave yuh, by golly."

"Wonder who bought Denson out?" Cal Emmett asked of no one in
particular, as the children went strutting off to the store to spend the
dollar which little Sary clutched so tightly it seemed as if the goddess
of liberty must surely have been imprinted upon her palm.

When they went inside and found Denson himself pompously "setting 'em up
to the house," Cal repeated the question in a slightly different form to
the man himself.

Denson, while he was ready to impress the beholders with his
unaccustomed affluence, became noticeably embarrassed at the inquiry,
and edged off into vague generalities.

"I jest nacherlly had to sell when I got m' price," he told the Happy
Family in a tone that savored strongly of apology. "I like the country,
and I like m' neighbors fine. Never'd ask for better than the Flyin' U
has been t' me. I ain't got no kick comin' there. Sorry to hear the Old
Man's hurt back East. Mary was real put out at not bein' able to
see Louise 'fore she went away"--Louise being the Countess' and Mary
Denson's sister--"but soon as I sold I got oneasy like. The feller
wanted p'session right away, too, so I told Mary we might as well start
b'fore we git outa the notion. I wouldn't uh cared about sellin', maybe,
but the kids needs to be in school. They're growin' up in ign'rance
out here, and Mary's folks wants us t