With him woman
had been a transient disturbance. I had witnessed a series of flighty
romances, where the cow-puncher had come, seen, often conquered, and
moved on. Nor had his affairs been of the sort to teach a young man
respect. I am putting it rather mildly.

For the first part of our way this afternoon he was moody, and after
that began to speak with appalling wisdom about life. Life, he said, was
a serious matter. Did I realize that? A man was liable to forget it. A
man was liable to go sporting and helling around till he waked up some
day and found all his best pleasures had become just a business. No
interest, no surprise, no novelty left, and no cash in the bank. Shorty
owed him fifty dollars. Shorty would be able to pay that after the
round-up, and he, Lin, would get his time and rustle altogether some
five hundred dollars. Then there was his homestead claim on Box Elder,
and the surveyors were coming in this fall. No better location for a
home in this country than Box Elder. Wood, water, fine land. All it
needed was a house and ditches and buildings and fences, and to be
planted with crops. Such chances and considerations should sober a
man and make him careful what he did. "I'd take in Cheyenne on our
wedding-trip, and after that I'd settle right down to improving Box
Elder," concluded Mr. McLean, suddenly.

His real intentions flashed upon me for the first time. I had not
remotely imagined such a step.

"Marry her!" I screeched in dismay. "Marry her!"

I don't know which word was the worse to emphasize at such a moment, but
I emphasized both thoroughly.

"I didn't expect yu'd act that way," said the lover. He dropped behind
me fifty yards and spoke no more.

Not at once did I beg his pardon for the brutality I had been surprised
into. It is one of those speeches that, once said, is said forever.

But it was not that which withheld me. As I thought of the tone in which
my friend had replied, it seemed to me sullen, rather than deeply angry
or wounded--resentment at my opinion not of her character so much as
of his choice! Then I began to be sorry for the fool, and schemed for
a while how to intervene. But have you ever tried intervention? I soon
abandoned the idea, and took a way to be forgiven, and to learn more.

"Lin," I began, slowing my horse, "you must not think about what I
said."

"I'm thinkin' of pleasanter subjects," said he, and slowed his own
horse.

"Oh, look here!" I exclaimed.

"