ation of the old cattleman. For him the
only use to which a wheeled vehicle drawn by a horse should be put was
to haul materials that could not be packed on a horse.

"They ain't using any wagon!" he fairly shouted; "they're goin' away in
the leather."

The idea of carrying out the traditions of the horse in Pinal County
even to a wedding-journey tickled the boys immensely.

Slapping one another on the back and nodding their heads in
approbation, they shouted: "That's the ticket. Hooray!"

"This ain't no New York idea, where the bride and groom hits the
life-trail in a hired hack," cried Fresno.

Allen's feelings apparently were not yet fully soothed. Turning to
Sage-brush, he said: "Wheels don't go in my family. Why, her ma and me
were married on hossback. The preacher had to make a hurry job of it,
but it took."

"Hush, now," was Parenthesis' awed comment.

"For her pop was a-chasin' us, and kept it up for twenty miles after
the parson said 'Amen.'"

"Did he ketch you?" asked Fresno, with great seriousness.

"He sure did," answered Allen, with a twinkle in his eye, "an' thanked
me for takin' Josephine off his hands."

The boys laughed. The joke was upon themselves, as they had expected
to hear a romantic story of earlier days.

When the laughter had subsided, Show Low suggested: "If we can't
decorate the wagon, let's put some fixin's on the ponies."

The proposal was received with more whoops, shouting, and yipping.
They waltzed about the smiling rancher.

"That's what!" cried Sage-brush enthusiastically.

Allen grew sarcastic, remarking: "I reckon you-all must have stopped
some time at the water-tank."

Renewed laughter greeted this sally.

"This is my first wedding," explained Sage-brush, rather apologetically.

"I want to know!" exclaimed Allen, in surprise.

"I'm tellin' you. I never seed a weddin' in all my life," replied
Sage-brush, as seriously as if he was denying a false accusation of a
serious crime. "Mother used to tell me about her'n, an' I often wisht
I had been there."

Fresno shouted with amusement. He had Sage-brush rattled. The coolest
man on the ranch was flustered by the mere thought of attending a
wedding-ceremony.

"He's plum locoed over this one. Ain't you, Sage-brush?" he drawled
tauntingly.

Sage-brush took his jibing in the best of humor. It was a holiday, and
they were with people of their own kind. Had a stranger been present
the remarks would have bee