o'd have believed it? Horses to be groomed
before drill, and time up already. I wonder--But here's Nell. She's
coming from the kitchen and looks important. What's up, Sis?"

"Several things. First, the hen of Wun Sing lies dead in her coop."

"O-oh!" "Ah!" "Unwise, ambitious hen!" were the exclamations which
responded; and Molly added:

"That isn't all. There's something worse on Helena's mind than the death
of a bewitched hen! Out with it, child! After--I mean--my nerves won't
stand any more."

"Didn't know you had nerves," laughed Alfy. "What's happened, Helena?"

"Wun Sing has disappeared."

"W-h-a-t?"

"It is true. He has gone, nobody knows where. There's a man from the
Barracks, the one who does the cooking over there, getting breakfast.
Captain Lem is flying around in a terrible state of mind. He's angry
with you boys, says there'll be neither drill nor rifle practice to-day,
but the horses _must_ be groomed just as soon as we get our breakfasts.
He's sent a half-dozen men looking for the cook, now, and they expect to
find him soon."

"So they did Jim! Seems if there wasn't anything doing on this ranch but
just getting lost," wailed Alfaretta, turning a little pale; while Molly
nervously begged:

"Somebody tie me fast! Tie me fast! It'll break my father's heart if I
get lost, too!"

Captain Lem came up at that moment. He looked so stern and unlike
himself that the young folks were all of them awed by his manner. Even
light hearted Monty slunk back, "shaking in his shoes," while Leslie
dropped his eyes and lost all his bravado.

"Hark to me, Squad! Every mortal son an' gal of ye! I'm riled--I'm mad.
Here am I left in charge, so to speak, of your doin's, and of the work
on the ranch, anyways. Your smart-aleck work has turned everything
topsy-turvy. Men took from their reg'lar jobs to go hunt worthless
Chinamen, and take his place a-cookin'. Hens dyin' to right an'
left--pizened by some your doses, likely--"

"Oh, no! Captain, I'm sure nobody would do such a cruel thing as poison
helpless creatures!" protested Dorothy, running to clasp his hand.

He had on his "specs," which they had already learned he used mostly
when he was angry, and they were very glittering just then. But Dorothy
would not be put aside. She clung to him till his mood softened and
removing the menacing "specs," dropped them in his blouse pocket. Then
he smiled upon her, rather shamefacedly, though he felt that he still
had good c