l be better. Why, there's somebody in the kitchen. I didn't know
Mrs. Foley had a visitor. Why, it's your man, Gus!"

Gus was established in a chair which he had balanced on its hind legs
against the wall. Around its front legs his huge feet were hooked. A
pipe was clenched in his teeth, and on his face was placid content.

"Yaas," he announced, "Ay ban purty gude man on a rench. Ay roon dat
rench for Engus, yoost like Ay roon him for hes fader."

"Ye run th' ranch f'r th' ould man, did ye?" Mrs. Foley commented.

"Sure," Gus affirmed. "Me and him we roon him. Engus, he don't know much
about a rench. If it ent for me, Ay tank he mek dam' fule out of the
whole t'ing."

"Gawd, but ye hate yerself!" said his auditor. "If ye know so much, why
ain't ye got a half section or bether of yer own, instid of dhrillin'
along a hired man?"

"Vell, Ay don't see yoost vat Ay like," Gus explained. "Ay mek gude
money."

"Who gets it?" asked Mrs. Foley. "Th' barkeep?"

Big Gus grinned. "Mebbe he gat some. But Ay got a stake saved up. Ven Ay
see a gude rench mebbe Ay buy him. But a faller alone on a rench haf
purty hard time. He needs a woman to cook and vash by him."

"Is that so?" snorted Mrs. Foley. "But, be me sowl, I b'lieve ye're
tellin' the stark, naked trut' as ye see ut. That's all the loikes iv
yez sees in a woman."

"Soome time," said Gus reflectively, "mebbe Ay gat me a voman."

"Hiven help her!" said Mrs. Foley piously. Gus surveyed her calmly.

"If Ay gat a voman," he announced, "Ay skall gat one dat ent no fule."

"Any woman ye get will be," Mrs. Foley retorted with a meaning which got
past Gus entirely.

"Vell, Ay don't know," he returned. "Some vomans is gat soome sense ven
dey gat old enough. Ay don't vant no good-lookin' young dancin' girl dat
don't know how to cook. Ay gat me soome day a rench, and a gude strong
voman like you, and settle down."

Faith smothered her mirth with difficulty. "There's a pointer for you,
Angus!" she whispered.

"Mrs. Foley will murder him now," he returned.

"Ye have ut down fine," Mrs. Foley snorted, "an' all I hope is that ye
get a woman that'll lay ye out wid a rowlin' pin in life, an' wid a
cleaner shirt nor ye have on now, when yer time comes. An' ut's me
that's lit candles, head an' feet, for foour men already. Though belike
ut's no candles ye'll have to light yer way up or down. Phwat belief are
ye, ye big Swede?"

Gus scratched his head and pondered.

"Ay vot