use when he gets
on his feet. And I'd hate to be the man to laugh at it, or try to take it
from him. Now, come, Mary, think of it right; it was the first kind act
he had known since he lost his daddy. And that pin is one of my main
stand-bys in this game. I believe that he'll be square as long as he
has it."

"Well, I don't care, James," warmly responded Mary. "It was _not_ a modest
thing to do when she had never seen him before, and he her brother's
enemy and an outlaw!"

"How could I have fastened the bandage, sister dear?" asked Helen, her
complexion slightly more colored than its natural shade. "It was so very
little to do after all he had done for us!"

"Well, Tom and I have some business to talk over, so we'll leave you
to fight the matter out among yourselves," the sheriff said, arising.
"Come to my room, Tom, I want to talk over that ranch scheme with you.
You bring the coffee pot and the cigars and I'll juggle the pie and
gingerbread," he laughed as he led the way.

"Oh, Tom!" hastily called Mrs. Shields after good-nights had been said,
and just before the door closed; "I promised you a dinner for your boys
when Helen and Mary came, and if you think you can spare them this coming
Sunday I will have it then."

"Thank you, Mrs. Shields," earnestly responded Blake, turning on the
threshold. "It is awful good of you to put yourself out that way, and you
can bet that the boys will be your devoted slaves ever after. If you
must go to that trouble, why, Sunday or any day you may name will do for
us. Gosh, but won't they be tickled!" he exulted as he pictured them
feasting on goodies. "It'll be better than a circus, it shore will!"

"Why, it's no trouble at all, Tom," she replied, smiling at being able
to bring cheer to a crowd of men, lonely, as she thought. "And you will
arrange to have The Orphan with them, won't you?"

"I most certainly will," he heartily replied. "It'll do wonders for him."
He glanced quickly at Helen, but she was busily engaged in threading a
needle under the lamp shade.

"Good night, all," he said as he closed the door.

CHAPTER XV

AN UNDERSTANDING

Blake settled himself in the easy chair which his host pushed over to
him and crossed his feet on the seat of another, and became the
personification of contentment. One of the black Perfectos which a
friend in the East kept Shields supplied with, was tenderly nursed by his
lips, its fragrant smoke slowly issuing from his nose