standin' it?"

"Like a soldier."

"She's got sand."

"She's made of it," laconically, "and I aims to stay by her."

Teeters hesitated; then, for the first time in his life he gave his hand
to a sheepherder, and, at parting, as further evidence that the caste
line was down between them, said heartily:

"Come over next Sunday and eat with me; I got six or eight
cackle-berries I been savin' fur somethin' special."

"Thanks. Aigs is my favor-ite fruit," Bowers replied appreciatively.

The next day Teeters went into the post office at Prouty with more
letters than he had written in all his life together. The Major was at
the window perspiring under the verbal attack of a highly incensed lady.

A deeply interested listener, Teeters gathered that the postmaster's
faulty orthography was to blame for the contumely heaped upon him. In
vain the Major protested his innocence of any malicious intent when,
after hearing a rumor to the effect that the lady had died during an
absence from Prouty, he wrote "diseased" upon a letter addressed to her,
and returned it to the sender.

"I'm goin' to sue you for libel!" was her parting shot at him.

"Like as not she'll do it," said the Major, despondently, and added with
bitterness, "I wisht I'd died before I got this post office! Teeters,"
he continued, impressively, "lemme tell you somethin': anybody can git a
post office by writin' a postal card to Washington, but men have gone
down to their graves tryin' to git rid of 'em. The only sure way is to
heave 'em into the street and jump out o' the country between sundown
and daylight.

"I've met fellers hidin' in the mountains that I used to think was
fugitive murderers--they had all the earmarks--but now I know better;
they was runnin' away from third-and fourth-class post offices. If ever
you're tempted, remember what I've told you. Anything I can do for you,
Teeters?"

Teeters threw out his mail carelessly.

"Just weigh up them letters, will you?"

The name of the head of the Astor family caught the postmaster's eyes
and he looked his astonishment.

"I'm expectin' him out next summer," Teeters said casually.

"You don't say?" with a mixture of respect and skepticism. "Visitin'?"

"Not exactly visitin'--he'll pay for stayin'. I'm tellin' you private
that I'm goin' to wrangle dudes next season. I made him a good
proposition and I think it'll ketch him."

"It would be a good ad. for the country," said the Major, thoughtfull