?" said she. "Strangers, maybe, have
no right to ask favors, but I reckon you'll let that pass this time. For
I'm real sleepy!" She smiled as she brought this out. "I've been four
days and nights on the cars, and to-morrow I've got to stage to Buffalo.
You see I'll not be here to spoil your fun to-morrow night, and I want
boys to be boys just as much as ever they can. Won't you put it off till
to-morrow night?"

In their amazement they found no spokesman; but I saw Lin busy among
them, and that some word was passing through their groups. After the
brief interval of stand-still they began silently to get on their
horses, while the looming engine glowed and pumped its breath, and the
sheriff and engineer remained as they were.

"Good-night, lady," said a voice among the moving horsemen, but the
others kept their abashed native silence; and thus they slowly filed
away to the corrals. The figures, in their loose shirts and leathern
chaps, passed from the dimness for a moment through the cone of light
in front of the locomotive, so that the metal about them made here and
there a faint, vanishing glint; and here and there in the departing
column a bold, half-laughing face turned for a look at the girl in the
doorway, and then was gone again into the dimness.

The sheriff in the cab took off his hat to Miss Buckner, remarking that
she should belong to the force; and as the bell rang and the engine
moved, off popped young Billy Lusk from his cow-catcher. With an
exclamation of horror she sprang down, and Mr. McLean appeared, and,
with all a parent's fright and rage, held the boy by the arm grotesquely
as the sheriff steamed by.

"I ain't a-going to chase it," said young Billy, struggling.

"I've a mind to cowhide you," said Lin.

But Miss Buckner interposed. "Oh, well," said she, "next time; if he
does it next time. It's so late to-night! You'll not frighten us that
way again if he lets you off?" she asked Billy.

"No," said Billy, looking at her with interest. "Father 'd have cowhided
me anyway, I guess," he added, meditatively.

"Do you call him father?"

"Ah, father's at Laramie," said Billy, with disgust. "He'd not stop for
your asking. Lin don't bother me much."

"You quit talking and step up there!" ordered his guardian. "Well, m'm,
I guess yu' can sleep good now in there."

"If it was only an 'L. and N.' I'd not have a thing against it!
Good-night, Mr. McLean; good-night, young Mr.--"

"I'm Billy Lusk. I c