k kerchief
which she wore knotted loosely around her slim neck, waited until the
horseman showed plainly in the distance and then, raising her right hand
high above her head, waved the scarf three times in slow, sweeping half
circles from right to left. She waited, her eyes fixed expectantly upon
the horseman. Like a startled rabbit he darted to the left, pulled in
his horse, turned and rode for three or four jumps sharply to the right;
stopped short for ten seconds and then came straight on, spurring his
horse to a swifter pace.

Annie-Many-Ponies smiled and went down into the shallow basin and seated
herself upon the wide, adobe curbing of an old well that marked, with
the nearby ruins of an adobe house, the site, of an old habitation of
tragic history. She waited with the absolute patience of her race for
the horseman had yet a good two miles to cover. While she waited she
smiled dreamily to herself and with dainty little pats and pulls she
widened the flaring red bows on her hair and retied the cerise scarf in
its picturesque, loose knot about her throat. As a final tribute to
that feminine instinct which knows no race she drew from some cunningly
devised hiding place a small, cheap "vanity box," and proceeded very
gravely to powder her nose.

CHAPTER III. TO THE VICTORS THE SPOILS

"Hey, boys!" Luck Lindsay shouted to Applehead and one or two of
the Happy Family who were down at the chuck--wagon engaged in uneasy
discussion as to what Luck would say when he found out about their
intention to leave. "Come on up here--this is going to be a wiping out
of old scores and I want to get it over with!"

"Well, now, I calc'late the fur's about to fly," Applehead made dismal
prophecy, as they started to obey the summons. "All 't su'prises me is
't he's held off this long. Two hours is a dang long time fer Luck to
git in action, now I'm tellin' yuh!" He took off his hat and polished
his shiny pate, as was his habit when perturbed. "I'm shore glad we
had t' wait and set them wagon-tires," he added. "We'd bin started this
mornin' only fer that."

"Aw, we ain't done nothing," Happy Jack protested in premature self
defense. "We ain't left the ranch yet. I guess a feller's got a right to
THINK!"

"He has, if he's got anything to do it with," Pink could not forbear to
remark pointedly.

"Well, if a feller didn't have, he'd have a fat chance borrying from
YOU," Happy Jack retorted.

"Well, by cripes, I ain't perpared