y. He
jumped and swung her up into the saddle.

"Now just to see how it ought to be done watch Florence," said Madeline.

The Western girl was at her best in riding-habit and with her horse. It
was beautiful to see the ease and grace with which she accomplished the
cowboys' flying mount. Then she led the party down the slope and across
the flat to climb the mesa.

Madeline never saw a group of her cowboys without looking them over,
almost unconsciously, for her foreman, Gene Stewart. This afternoon, as
usual, he was not present. However, she now had a sense--of which she
was wholly conscious--that she was both disappointed and irritated. He
had really not been attentive to her guests, and he, of all her
cowboys, was the one of whom they wanted most to see something. Helen,
particularly, had asked to have him attend the match. But Stewart was
with the cattle. Madeline thought of his faithfulness, and was ashamed
of her momentary lapse into that old imperious habit of desiring things
irrespective of reason.

Stewart, however, immediately slipped out of her mind as she surveyed
the group of cowboys on the links. By actual count there were sixteen,
not including Stillwell. And the same number of splendid horses, all
shiny and clean, grazed on the rim in the care of Mexican lads. The
cowboys were on dress-parade, looking very different in Madeline's eyes,
at least, from the way cowboys usually appeared. But they were real and
natural to her guests; and they were so picturesque that they might have
been stage cowboys instead of real ones. Sombreros with silver
buckles and horsehair bands were in evidence; and bright silk scarfs,
embroidered vests, fringed and ornamented chaps, huge swinging guns, and
clinking silver spurs lent a festive appearance.

Madeline and her party were at once eagerly surrounded by the cowboys,
and she found it difficult to repress a smile. If these cowboys were
still remarkable to her, what must they be to her guests?

"Wal, you-all raced over, I seen," said Stillwell, taking Madeline's
bridle. "Get down--get down. We're sure amazin' glad an' proud. An',
Miss Majesty, I'm offerin' to beg pawdin for the way the boys are
packin' guns. Mebbe it ain't polite. But it's Stewart's orders."

"Stewart's orders!" echoed Madeline. Her friends were suddenly silent.

"I reckon he won't take no chances on the boys bein' surprised sudden
by raiders. An' there's raiders operatin' in from the Guadalupes. That