on it. The outcome was, that he swore
he'd have Jim out o' the pen as soon as he could get back an' do the
signin'. He was a big man with steel gray eyes, an' by jing I felt good
over it; but I stuck to the one drink proposition.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

THE CREOLE BELLE

Well, now, mebbe I didn't feel fine! I'd have a real man for Barbie to
marry purty soon, an' it was a good job o' work to send that washy-eyed
Englishman back to his one-hoss ranch to learn hove to act grown-up. I
was all squared around now. Up to that mornin' I couldn't tell where on
the face I did want to head for; but now I knew. I wanted to bee-line
straight for the Diamond Dot an' light the joy-lamps in Barbie's eyes
again. When I had given my life to her the' wasn't no strings to the
gift. I hadn't said that my happiness was to be considered at all, nor
the happiness of any one else on the whole earth except just her own,
an' I was wild to be back.

I was makin' up my mind to sneak away without seein' any o' the glad
band--those Frisco fellers are terrors when they take a fancy to ya--I
mean the thoroughbreds, the toppy lad with rolls 'at a ten-year-old boy
couldn't up-end without strainin' himself. I hated to do it; but I'm
only human, an' when I'm in earnest about bein' delivered from evil I
allus get up early in the dawn an' get a good start while temptation is
still enjoyin' its beauty sleep.

I had just got my will power properly stiffened up, when lo an' behold,
I was slapped on the back an' a merry voice exclaimed, "Happy Hawkins,
by the Chinese Devil!"

I glanced up into a bearded face with two twinklin' eyes an' an outdoor
look about it. I recognized the eyes all right, but I knew I hadn't
never seen 'em in that sort o' trimmin' before; so I sez in a dignified
manner, "I'm exceeding glad to see ya, but who the 'll are ya?"

"Ches!" sez he. "Ralph Chester Stuart--Great Scott, have you lost your
memory?"

Well, by the Jinks, but I was glad to see the boy, an' we hid away in a
private room with two pure an' proper lemonades before us. He was a
genuine minin' engineer, an' had been havin' lots of queer experiences.
He wanted me to sign up with him, promisin' me that we'd have change of
bill twice a week; but I finally prevailed upon him that I had aged
considerable since our didoes with the goat, an' all of a sudden he ups
an' sez, "By the way, old hat, I've got you news!"

"Yes?" sez I. "Where'd you get it?"

"Why, about