f it."

"Proud of this yere county?" said the boy, "or proud of being dep'ty-
sheriff?"

"By Jing! I'm proud o' both. The county's comin' along fine, and so'm
I, Bud. It's a fact, sonny, that I'm held in high esteem as an
officer. Why, my boss said to me this very day: 'Jeff,' says he, 'yer
makin' a record.'"

"What sort o' record?"

Jeff flushed slightly. He was not in the habit of "tooting his own
horn," as he would have put it, but the boy's face invited confidence.

"A record for dooin' my duty," he answered slowly. "'Tain't as easy as
you might think for."

"No?"

"Not by no means. Ye see, Bud, in a new country 'tisn't only the real
bad eggs that worries us. The community can deal with them. No, no,
it's the good fellers gone wrong, the straight 'uns grown crooked, who
keep us stirrin'. And, sometimes, when a friend, a neighbour, flies
the track, an officer is kind o' tempted to look the other way. See?"

"And you don't look the other way?"

Jeff's strong chin stuck out, and his eyes sparkled "You bet I don't."

The boy eyed him attentively. The qualities conspicuous in the
pioneer--energy, fortitude, grit, patience--shone finely out of Jeff's
eyes.

"I like you, Jeff," said the boy, almost shyly.

"Shake," said Jeff. "I like you, Bud."

The two shook hands solemnly.

"Although I am a city boy," said Bud.

"But it beats me what yer doing--here?"

"Just camping. Dad's a botanist and an entomologist."

"Is that so?" Jeff's face shone. The presence of these strangers in
the wild foothills was adequately explained. Then he laughed, showing
strong, even teeth. "I'd like to meet your dad first-rate, and, Bud,
I'd like even better to meet your sister."

He punched the boy in the ribs, chuckling to himself. The boy laughed
too, freshly and frankly.

"Something like you, I reckon," said Jeff, "only cleaner and----"

"I'm as clean as they make 'em," Bud declared angrily.

"Keep your hair on, sonny. I'll allow yer as clean as they make boys,
mebbee cleaner, but we're speaking o' girls. Have ye got her picture?"

"Whose picture?"

"Your sister's."

"Well, I declare! How do you know I've got a sister?"

"I know it," said Jeff. "Call it instinct. Didn't I tell ye that in my
business I've got to jest naturally know things? I jump, Bud, where
the ordinary citizen might, so ter speak, crawl."

The boy laughed gaily. Then he ran off, returning in a minute with a
small leather case. Out of this he t