Theninaboutaweekhewentasecondtime。An\'hepackedsomestuffwithhim。Nowhe\'ssneakedoff，an\'Nels，whowasdowntothelowertrail，sawhimmeetsomebodythatlookedlikePadreMarcos。Wal，Iwentdowntothechurch，and，sureenough，PadreMarcosisgone。Whatdoyouthinkofthat，MissMajesty？\"
\"MaybeStewartisgettingreligious，\"laughedMadeline。Youtoldmesoonce。
Stillwellpuffedandwipedhisredface。
\"Ifyou\'dheerdhimcussMontythismawnin\'you\'dneverguessitwasreligion。Montyan\'Nelshevbeengivin\'Genealotoftroublelately。They\'rebothsorean\'infightin\'moodeversinceDonCarloshedyoukidnapped。Surethey\'regoin\'tobreaksoon，an\'thenwe\'llhevacoupleofwildTexassteersridin\'therange。I\'veaheaptoworryme。\"
\"LetStewarttakehismysterioustripsintothemountains。Here，Stillwell，Ihavenewsforyouthatmaygiveyoureasonforworry。Ihavelettersfromhome。Andmysister，withapartyoffriends，iscomingouttovisitme。Theyaresocietyfolk，andoneofthemisanEnglishlord。\"
\"Wal，MissMajesty，Ireckonwe\'llallbegladtoseethem，\"saidStillwell。\"OnlesstheypackyouoffbackEast。\"
\"Thatisn\'tlikely，\"repliedMadeline，thoughtfully。\"Imustgobacksometime，though。Well，letmereadyouafewextractsfrommymail。\"
Madelinetookuphersister\'sletterwithastrangesensationofhoweasilysightofacrestedmonogramandscentofdelicatelyperfumedpapercouldrecallthebrilliantlifeshehadgivenup。
Shescannedthepagesofbeautifulhandwriting。Helen\'sletterwasinturngayandbrilliantandlazy，justasshewasherself；
butMadelinedetectedmoreofcuriosityinitthanofreallongingtoseethesisterandbrotherintheFarWest。MuchofwhatHelenwrotewasenthusiasticanticipationofthefunsheexpectedtohavewithbashfulcowboys。Helenseldomwroteletters，andsheneverreadanything，notevenpopularnovelsoftheday。ShewasasabsolutelyignorantoftheWestastheEnglishman，who，shesaid，expectedtohuntbuffaloandfightIndians。Moreover，therewasasatiricnoteintheletterthatMadelinedidnotlike，andwhichrousedherspirit。Manifestly，Helenwasrevelingintheprospectofnewsensation。
Whenshefinishedreadingaloudafewparagraphstheoldcattlemansnortedandhisfacegrewredder。
\"Didyoursisterwritethat？\"heasked。
\"Yes。\"
\"Wal，I——Ibegpawdin，MissMajesty。Butitdoesn\'tseemlikeyou。Doesshethinkwe\'realotofwildmenfromBorneo？\"
\"Evidentlyshedoes。Iratherthinksheisinforasurprise。
Now，Stillwell，youarecleverandyoucanseethesituation。I
wantmygueststoenjoytheirstayhere，butIdonotwantthattobeattheexpenseofthefeelingsofallofus，orevenanyone。Helenwillbringalivelycrowd。They\'llcraveexcitement——
theunusual。Letusseethattheyarenotdisappointed。Youtaketheboysintoyourconfidence。Tellthemwhattoexpect，andtellthemhowtomeetit。Ishallhelpyouinthat。Iwanttheboystobeondress-paradewhentheyareoffduty。Iwantthemtobeontheirmostelegantbehavior。Idonotcarewhattheydo，whatmeasurestheytaketoprotectthemselves，whattrickstheycontrive，solongastheydonotoverstepthelimitofkindnessandcourtesy。Iwantthemtoplaytheirpartsseriously，naturally，asiftheyhadlivednootherway。Myguestsexpecttohavefun。Letusmeetthemwithfun。Nowwhatdoyousay？\"
Stillwellrose，hisgreatbulktowering，hishugefacebeaming。
\"Wal，Isayit\'sthemostamazin\'fineideeIeverheerdinmylife。\"
\"Indeed，Iamgladyoulikeit，\"wentonMadeline。
\"Cometomeagain，Stillwell，afteryouhavespokentotheboys。
But，nowthatIhavesuggestedit，Iamalittleafraid。Youknowwhatcowboyfunis。Perhaps——\"
\"Don\'tyougobackonthatidee，\"interruptedStillwell。Hewasassuringandbland，buthishurrytoconvinceMadelinebetrayedhim。\"Leavetheboystome。Why，don\'ttheyallswearbyyou，sameastheMexicansdototheVirgin？Theywon\'tdisgraceyou，MissMajesty。They\'llbesimplyimmense。It\'llbeatanyshowyoueverseen。\"
\"Ibelieveitwill，\"repliedMadeline。Shewasstilldoubtfulofherplan，buttheenthusiasmoftheoldcattlemanwasinfectiousandirresistible。\"Verywell，wewillconsideritsettled。MyguestswillarriveonMayninth。MeanwhileletusgetHerMajesty\'sRanchoinshapeforthisinvasion。\"
OntheafternoonoftheninthofMay，perhapshalfanhourafterMadelinehadreceivedatelephonemessagefromLinkStevensannouncingthearrivalofherguestsatElCajon，Florencecalledheroutupontheporch。Stillwellwastherewithhisfacewrinkledbyhiswonderfulsmileandhiseagleeyesriveteduponthedistantvalley。Faraway，perhapstwentymiles，athinstreakofwhitedustrosefromthevalleyfloorandslantedskyward。
\"Look！\"saidFlorence，excitedly。
\"Whatisthat？\"askedMadeline。
\"LinkStevensandtheautomobile！\"
\"Ohno！Why，it\'sonlyafewminutessincehetelephonedsayingthepartyhadjustarrived。\"
\"Takealookwiththeglasses，\"saidFlorence。
OneglancethroughthepowerfulbinocularsconvincedMadelinethatFlorencewasright。AndanotherglanceatStillwelltoldherthathewasspeechlesswithdelight。SherememberedalittleconversationshehadhadwithLinkStevensashortwhileprevious。
\"Stevens，Ihopethecarisingoodshape，\"shehadsaid。\"Now，MissHammond，she\'sasrightasthebest-trainedhossIeverrode，\"hehadreplied。
\"Thevalleyroadisperfect，\"shehadgoneon，musingly。\"I
neversawsuchabeautifulroad，eveninFrance。Nofences，noditches，norocks，novehicles。Justalonelyroadonthedesert。\"
\"Shore，it\'slonely，\"Stevenshadanswered，withslowlybrighteningeyes。\"An\'safe，MissHammond。\"
\"Mysisterusedtolikefastriding。IfIremembercorrectly，allofmyguestswerealittleafflictedwiththespeedmania。
ItisacommondiseasewithNew-Yorkers。Ihope，Stevens，thatyouwillnotgivethemreasontothinkwearealtogethersteepedintheslow，dreamymananalanguoroftheSouthwest。\"
Linkdoubtfullyeyedher，andthenhisbronzefacechangeditsdarkaspectandseemedtoshine。
\"Beggin\'yourpardon，MissHammond，thet\'sshoretalltalkferLinkStevenstosavvy。Youmean——aslongasIdrivecarefulan\'
safeIcanrunawayfrommydust，sotosay，an\'gethereinsomethin\'lessthantheGreaser\'sto-morrow？\"
Madelinehadlaughedherassent。Andnow，asshewatchedthethinstreakofdust，atthatdistancemovingwithsnailpace，shereproachedherself。ShetrustedStevens；shehadneverknownsoskilful，daring，andiron-nervedadriverashewas。Ifshehadbeeninthecarherselfshewouldhavehadnoanxiety。But，imaginingwhatStevenswoulddoonfortymilesandmoreofthatdesertroad，Madelinesufferedaprickofconscience。
\"Oh，Stillwell！\"sheexclaimed。\"IamafraidIwillgobackonmywonderfulidea。Whatmademedoit？\"
\"Yoursisterwantedtherealthing，didn\'tshe？Saidtheyallwantedit。Wal，Ireckonthey\'vebegungettin\'it，\"repliedStillwell。
ThatstatementfromthecattlemanallayedMadeline\'spangsofconscience。Sheunderstoodjustwhatshefelt，thoughshecouldnothaveputitinwords。Shewashungryforasightofwell-rememberedfaces；shelongedtohearthesoftlaughterandgayreparteeofoldfriends；shewaseagerforgossipyfirst-handnewsofheroldworld。Nevertheless，somethinginhersister\'sletter，inmessagesfromtheotherswhowerecoming，hadtouchedMadeline\'spride。Inonesensetheexpectedguestswerehostile，inasmuchastheywerescornfulandcuriousabouttheWestthathadclaimedher。SheimaginedwhattheywouldexpectinaWesternranch。Theywouldsurelygettherealthing，too，asStillwellsaid；andinthatcertaintywassatisfactionforasmallgrainofsomethingwithinMadelinewhichapproachedresentment。Shewistfullywondered，however，ifhersisterorfriendswouldcometoseetheWestevenalittleasshesawit。
That，perhaps，wouldhehopingtoomuch。Sheresolvedonceforalltodoherbesttogivethemthesensationtheirsensescraved，andequallytoshowthemthesweetnessandbeautyandwholesomenessandstrengthoflifeintheSouthwest。
\"Wal，asNelssays，Iwouldn\'tbeinthatthereottomobilerightnowforamillionpesos，\"remarkedStillwell。
\"Why？IsStevensdrivingfast？\"
\"GoodLord！Fast？MissMajesty，therehain\'teverbeenanythin\'
exceptastreakoflightnin\'runsofastinthiscountry。I\'llbetLinkforonceisinheaven。Icanjestseehimnow，thegrim，crooked-leggedlittledevil，hunchin\'downoverthatwheelasifitwasahoss\'sneck。\"
\"Itoldhimnottolettheridebehotordusty，\"remarkedMadeline。
\"Haw，haw！\"roaredStillwell。\"Wal，I\'llbegoin\'。IreckonI\'dliketobehyarwhenLinkdrivesup，butIwanttobewiththeboysdownbythebunks。It\'llbesomefuntoseeNelsan\'MontywhenLinkcomesflyin\'along。\"
\"IwishAlhadstayedtomeetthem，\"saidMadeline。
HerbrotherhadratherhurriedashipmentofcattletoCalifornia：anditwasMadeline\'ssuppositionthathehadwelcomedtheopportunitytoabsenthimselffromtheranch。
\"Iamsorryhewouldn\'tstay，\"repliedFlorence。\"ButAl\'sallbusinessnow。Andhe\'sdoingfinely。It\'sjustaswell，perhaps。\"
\"Surely。Thatwasmypridespeaking。IwouldliketohaveallmyfamilyandallmyoldfriendsseewhatamanAlhasbecome。
Well，LinkStevensisrunninglikethewind。Thecarwillbeherebeforeweknowit。Florence，we\'veonlyafewmomentstodress。ButfirstIwanttoordermanyandvariousandexceedinglycoldrefreshmentsforthatapproachingparty。\"
Lessthanahalf-hourlaterMadelinewentagaintotheporchandfoundFlorencethere。
\"Oh，youlookjustlovely！\"exclaimedFlorence，impulsively，asshegazedwide-eyedupatMadeline。\"Andsomehowsodifferent！\"
Madelinesmiledalittlesadly。Perhapswhenshehadputonthatexquisitewhitegownsomethinghadcometoherofthemannerwhichbefittedthewearingofit。Shecouldnotresistthedesiretolookfaironcemoreintheeyesofthesehypercriticalfriends。Thesadsmilehadbeenforthedaysthatweregone。
Forsheknewthatwhatsocietyhadoncebeenpleasedtocallherbeautyhadtrebledsinceithadlastbeenseeninadrawing-room。
Madelineworenojewels，butatherwaistshehadpinnedtwogreatcrimsonroses。Againstthedeadwhitetheyhadthelifeandfireandrednessofthedesert。
\"Link\'shittheoldround-uptrail，\"saidFlorence，\"andoh，isn\'theridingthatcar！\"
WithFlorence，aswithmostofthecowboys，thecarwasneverdriven，butridden。
Awhitespotwithalongtrailofdustshowedlowdowninthevalley。Itwasnowheadedalmoststraightfortheranch。
Madelinewatcheditgrowinglargermomentbymoment，andherpleasurableemotiongrewaccordingly。Thentherapidbeatofahorse\'shoofscausedhertoturn。
Stewartwasridinginonhisblackhorse。Hehadbeenabsentonanimportantmission，andhisdutyhadtakenhimtotheinternationalboundary-line。HispresencehomelongbeforehewasexpectedwasparticularlygratifyingtoMadeline，foritmeantthathismissionhadbeenbroughttoasuccessfulissue。Oncemore，forthehundredthtime，theman\'sreliabilitystruckMadeline。Hewasadoerofthings。Theblackhorsehaltedwearilywithouttheusualpoundofhoofsonthegravel，andthedustyriderdismountedwearily。Bothhorseandridershowedtheheatanddustandwindofmanymiles。
Madelineadvancedtotheporchsteps。AndStewart，aftertakingaparcelofpapersfromasaddle-bag，turnedtowardher。
\"Stewart，youarethebestofcouriers，\"shesaid。\"Iampleased。\"
Duststreamedfromhissombreroashedoffedit。Hisdarkfaceseemedtoriseashestraightenedwearyshoulders。
\"Herearethereports，MissHammond，\"hereplied。
Ashelookeduptoseeherstandingthere，dressedtoreceiveherEasternguests，hecheckedhisadvancewithaviolentactionwhichrecalledtoMadelinetheonehehadmadeonthenightshehadmethim，whenshedisclosedheridentity。Itwasnotfearnorembarrassmentnorawkwardness。Anditwasonlymomentary。Yet，slightashadbeenhispause，Madelinereceivedfromitanimpressionofsomestronghaltingforce。AmanstruckbyabulletmighthavehadaninstantjerkofmuscularcontrolsuchasconvulsedStewart。Inthatinstant，asherkeengazesearchedhisdust-cakedface，shemetthefull，freelookofhiseyes。
Herowndidnotfall，thoughshefeltawarmthstealtohercheeks。Madelineveryseldomblushed。Andnow，consciousofhersuddencoloragenuineblushflamedonherface。Itwasirritatingbecauseitwasincomprehensible。ShereceivedthepapersfromStewartandthankedhim。Hebowed，thenledtheblackdownthepathtowardthecorrals。
\"WhenStewartlookslikethathe\'sbeenriding，\"saidFlorence。
\"Butwhenhishorselookslikethathe\'ssurebeenburningthewind。\"
Madelinewatchedthewearyhorseandriderlimpdownthepath。
Whathadmadeherthoughtful？Mostlyitwassomethingneworsuddenorinexplicablethatstirredhermindtoquickanalysis。
InthisinstancethethingthathadstruckMadelinewasStewart\'sglance。Hehadlookedather，andtheoldburning，inscrutablefire，thedarkness，hadlefthiseyes。Suddenlytheyhadbeenbeautiful。Thelookhadnotbeenoneofsurpriseoradmiration；
norhaditbeenoneoflove。Shewasfamiliar，toofamiliarwithallthree。Ithadnotbeenagazeofpassion，fortherewasnothingbeautifulinthat。Madelinepondered。AndpresentlysherealizedthatStewart\'seyeshadexpressedastrangejoyofpride。ThatexpressionMadelinehadneverbeforeencounteredinthelookofanyman。Probablyitsstrangenesshadmadehernoticeitandaccountedforherblushing。Thelongershelivedamongtheseoutdoormenthemoretheysurprisedher。Particularly，howincomprehensiblewasthiscowboyStewart！Whyshouldhehaveprideorjoyatsightofher？
Florence\'sexclamationmadeMadelineoncemoreattendtotheapproachingautomobile。Itwasontheslopenow，somemilesdownthelonggradualslant。Twoyellowfunnel-shapedcloudsofdustseemedtoshootoutfrombehindthecarandrollalofttojointhecolumnthatstretcheddownthevalley。
\"Iwonderwhatridingamileaminutewouldbelike，\"saidFlorence。\"I\'llsuremakeLinktakeme。Oh，butlookathimcome！\"
Thegiantcarresembledawhitedemon，andbutforthedustwouldhaveappearedtobesailingintheair。Itsmotionwassteadilyforward，holdingtotheroadasifonrails。Anditsvelocitywasastounding。Long，grayveils，likepennants，streamedinthewind。Alowrushingsoundbecameperceptible，anditgrewlouder，becamearoar。Thecarshotlikeanarrowpastthealfalfa-field，bythebunk-houses，wherethecowboyswavedandcheered。Thehorsesandburrosinthecorralsbegantosnortandtrampandraceinfright。AtthebaseofthelongslopeofthefoothillLinkcutthespeedmorethanhalf。Yetthecarroaredup，rollingthedust，flyingcapesandveilsandulsters，andcrashedandcrackedtoahaltintheyardbeforetheporch。
Madelinedescriedagray，disheveledmassofhumanitypackedinsidethecar。Besidesthedriverthereweresevenoccupants，andforamomenttheyappearedtobecomingtolife，movingandexclaimingundertheveilsandwrapsanddust-shields。
LinkStevenssteppedoutand，removinghelmetandgoggles，coollylookedathiswatch。
\"Anhouran\'aquarter，MissHammond，\"hesaid。\"It\'ssixty-threemilesbythevalleyroad，an\'youknowthere\'sacoupleofbadhills。Ireckonwemadefairtime，considerin\'youwantedmetodriveslowan\'safe。\"
Fromthemassofdusty-veiledhumanityinthecarcamelowexclamationsandplaintivefemininewails。
Madelinesteppedtothefrontoftheporch。Thenthedeepvoicesofmenandsoftervoicesofwomenunitedinonegladoutburst，asmuchathanksgivingasagreeting，\"MAJESTY！\"
HelenHammondwasthreeyearsyoungerthanMadeline，andaslender，prettygirl。Shedidnotresemblehersister，exceptinwhitenessandfinenessofskin，beingmoreofabrown-eyed，brown-hairedtype。HavingrecoveredherbreathsoonafterMadelinetookhertoherroom，shebegantotalk。
\"Majesty，oldgirl，I\'mhere；butyoucanbetIwouldneverhavegottenhereifIhadknownaboutthatridefromtherailroad。
Youneverwrotethatyouhadacar。IthoughtthiswasoutWest——
stage-coach，andallthatsortofthing。Suchatremendouscar！
Andtheroad！Andthatterriblelittlemanwiththeleathertrousers！Whatkindofachauffeurishe？\"
\"He\'sacowboy。Hewascrippledbyfallingunderhishorse，soI
hadhiminstructedtorunthecar。Hecandrive，don\'tyouthink？\"
\"Drive？Goodgracious！Hescaredustodeath，exceptCastleton。
Nothingcouldscarethatcold-bloodedlittleEnglishman。Iamdizzyyet。Doyouknow，Majesty，IwasdelightedwhenIsawthecar。Thenyourcowboydrivermetusattheplatform。Whataqueer-lookingindividual！Hehadabigpistolstrappedtothoseleathertrousers。Thatmademenervous。Whenhepiledusallinwithourgrips，heputmeintheseatbesidehim，whetherIlikeditornot。IwasfoolenoughtotellhimIlovedtotravelfast。
Whatdoyouthinkhesaid？Well，heeyedmeinarathercoolandspeculativewayandsaid，withasmile，\'Miss，Ireckonanythingyoulovean\'wantbadwillbecomingtoyououthere！\'Ididn\'tknowwhetheritwasdelightfulcandororimpudence。Thenhesaidtoallofus：\'Shoreyouhadbetterwrapupintheveilsan\'
dusters。It\'salong，slow，hot，dustyridetotheranch，an\'
MissHammond\'sorderwastodrivesafe。\'Hegotourbaggagechecksandgavethemtoamanwithahugewagonandafour-horseteam。Thenhecrankedthecar，jumpedin，wrappedhisarmsroundthewheel，andsankdownlowinhisseat。Therewasacrack，ajerk，akindofflasharoundus，andthatdirtylittletownwassomewhereonthemapbehind。ForaboutfiveminutesIhadalovelytime。Thenthewindbegantotearmetopieces。I
couldn\'thearanythingbuttherushofwindandroarofthecar。
Icouldseeonlystraightahead。Whataroad！Ineversawaroadinmylifetillto-day。Milesandmilesandmilesahead，withnotevenapostortree。Thatbigcarseemedtoleapatthemiles。Ithummedandsang。Iwasfascinated，thenterrified。
WewentsofastIcouldn\'tcatchmybreath。Thewindwentthroughme，andIexpectedtobedisrobedbyitanyminute。IwasafraidIcouldn\'tholdanyclotheson。PresentlyallIcouldseewasaflashinggraywallwithawhitelineinthemiddle。Thenmyeyesblurred。Myfaceburned。Myearsgrewfullofahundredthousandhowlingdevils。Iwasaboutreadytodiewhenthecarstopped。
Ilookedandlooked，andwhenIcouldsee，thereyoustood！\"
\"Helen，Ithoughtyouwerefondofspeeding，\"saidMadeline，withalaugh。
\"Iwas。ButIassureyouIneverbeforewasinafastcar；I
neversawaroad；Inevermetadriver。\"
\"PerhapsImayhaveafewsurprisesforyououthereinthewildandwoollyWest。\"
Helen\'sdarkeyesshowedasister\'smemoryofpossibilities。
\"You\'vestartedwell，\"shesaid。\"Iamsimplystunned。Iexpectedtofindyouoldanddowdy。Majesty，you\'rethehandsomestthingIeverlaideyeson。You\'resosplendidandstrong，andyourskinislikewhitegold。What\'shappenedtoyou？What\'schangedyou？Thisbeautifulroom，thosegloriousrosesoutthere，thecool，darksweetnessofthiswonderfulhouse！Iknowyou，Majesty，and，thoughyouneverwroteit，Ibelieveyouhavemadeahomeouthere。That\'sthemoststunningsurpriseofall。
Come，confess。IknowI\'vealwaysbeenselfishandnotmuchofasister；butifyouarehappyouthereIamglad。Youwerenothappyathome。TellmeaboutyourselfandaboutAlfred。ThenI
shallgiveyouallthemessagesandnewsfromtheEast。\"
ItaffordedMadelineexceedingpleasuretohavefromoneandallofherguestsvariedencomiumsofherbeautifulhome，andarealandwarminterestinwhatpromisedtobeadelightfulandmemorablevisit。
OfthemallCastletonwastheonlyonewhofailedtoshowsurprise。HegreetedherpreciselyasbehadwhenhehadlastseenherinLondon。Madeline，rathertoherastonishment，foundmeetinghimagainpleasurable。ShediscoveredshelikedthisimperturbableEnglishman。Manifestlyhercapacityforlikinganyonehadimmeasurablyenlarged。Quiteunexpectedlyheroldgirlishloveforheryoungersistersprangintolife，andwithitinterestinthesehalf-forgottenfriends，andawarmregardforEdithWayne，achumofcollegedays。
Helen\'spartywassmallerthanMadelinehadexpectedittobe。
Helenhadbeencarefultoselectacompanyofgoodfriends，allofwhomwerewellknowntoMadeline。EdithWaynewasapatricianbrunette，aserious，soft-voicedwoman，sweetandkindly，despitearatherbitterexperiencethathadleftherworldlywise。Mrs。
CarrolltonBeck，aplain，livelyperson，hadchaperonedtheparty。ThefourthandlastofthefemininecontingentwasMissDorothyCoombs——Dot，astheycalledher——ayoungwomanofattractiveblondprettiness。
ForamanCastletonwasofverysmallstature。Hehadapink-and-whitecomplexion，asmallgoldenmustache，andhisheavyeyelids，alwaysdrooping，madehimlookdull。Hisattire，cuttowhatappearedtobeanexaggeratedEnglishstyle，attractedattentiontohisdiminutivesize。Hewasimmaculateandfastidious。RobertWeedewasaratherlargefloridyoungman，remarkableonlyforhisgoodnature。CountingBoydHarvey，ahandsome，pale-facedfellow，withthecarelesssmileofthemanforwhomlifehadbeeneasyandpleasant，thepartywascomplete。
Dinnerwasahappyhour，especiallyfortheMexicanwomenwhoserveditandwhocouldnotfailtonoteitssuccess。Theminglingoflowvoicesandlaughter，theold，gay，superficialtalk，thegraciousnessofaclasswhichlivedforthepleasureofthingsandtomaketimepasspleasurablyforothers——alltookMadelinefarbackintothepast。Shedidnotcaretoreturntoit，butshesawthatitwaswellshehadnotwhollycutherselfofffromherpeopleandfriends。
Whenthepartyadjournedtotheporchtheheathadmarkedlydecreasedandtheredsunwassinkingoverthereddesert。Anabsenceofspokenpraise，agraduallydeepeningsilence，attestedtotheimpressiononthevisitorsofthatnoblesunset。JustasthelastcurveofredrimvanishedbeyondthedimSierraMadresandthegoldenlightningbegantoflarebrighterHelenbrokethesilencewithanexclamation。
\"Itwantsonlylife。Ah，there\'sahorseclimbingthehill！
See，he\'sup！Hehasarider！\"
Madelineknewbeforeshelookedtheidentityofthemanridingupthemesa。Butshedidnotknowuntilthatmomenthowthehabitofwatchingforhimatthishourhadgrownuponher。Herodealongtherimofthemesaandouttothepoint，where，againstthegoldenbackground，horseandriderstoodsilhouettedinboldrelief。
\"What\'shedoingthere？Whoishe？\"inquiredthecuriousHelen。
\"ThatisStewart，myright-handman，\"repliedMadeline。\"Everydaywhenheisattheranchheridesupthereatsunset。Ithinkhelikestherideandthescene；buthegoestotakealookatthecattleinthevalley。\"
\"Isheacowboy？\"askedHelen。
\"Indeedyes！\"repliedMadeline，withalittlelaugh。\"YouwillthinksowhenStillwellgetsholdofyouandbeginstotalk。\"
MadelinefounditnecessarytoexplainwhoStillwellwas，andwhathethoughtofStewart，and，whileshewasaboutit，ofherownaccordsheaddedafewdetailsofStewart\'sfame。
\"ElCapitan。Howinteresting！\"musedHelen。\"Whatdoeshelooklike？\"
\"Heissuperb。\"
Florencehandedthefield-glasstoHelenandbadeherlook。
\"Oh，thankyou！\"saidHelen，asshecomplied。\"There。Iseehim。
Indeed，heissuperb。Whatamagnificenthorse！Howstillhestands！Why，heseemscarvedinstone。\"
\"Letmelook？\"saidDorothyCoombs，eagerly。
Helengavehertheglass。
\"Youcanlook，Dot，butthat\'sall。He\'smine。Isawhimfirst。\"
WhereuponMadeline\'sfeminineguestsheldaspiritedcontestoverthefield-glass，andthreeofthemmadegay，banteringboastsnottoconsiderHelen\'sself-assertedrights。MadelinelaughedwiththeotherswhileshewatchedthedarkfigureofStewartandhisblackoutlineagainstthesky。Therecameoverherathoughtnotbyanymeansneworstrange——shewonderedwhatwasinStewart\'smindashestoodthereinthesolitudeandfacedthedesertandthedarkeningwest。Somedayshemeanttoaskhim。Presentlyheturnedthehorseandrodedownintotheshadowcreepingupthemesa。
\"Majesty，haveyouplannedanyfun，anyexcitementforus？\"askedHelen。Shewasrestless，nervous，anddidnotseemtobeabletositstillamoment。
\"YouwillthinksowhenIgetthroughwithyou，\"repliedMadeline。
\"What，forinstance？\"inquiredHelenandDotandMrs。Beck，inunison。EdithWaynesmiledherinterest。
\"Well，Iamnotcountingridesandclimbsandgolf；butthesearenecessarytotrainyoufortripsoverintoArizona。IwanttoshowyouthedesertandtheAravaipaCanon。Wehavetogoonhorsebackandpackouroutfit。Ifanyofyouarealiveafterthosetripsandwantmoreweshallgoupintothemountains。I
shouldlikeverymuchtoknowwhatyoueachwantparticularly。\"
\"I\'lltellyou，\"repliedHelen，promptly。\"DotwillbethesameouthereasshewasintheEast。Shewantstolookbashfullydownatherhand——ahandimprisonedinanother，bytheway——andlistentoamantalkpoetryabouthereyes。Ifcowboysdon\'tmakelovethatwayDot\'svisitwillbeafailure。NowElsieBeckwantssolelytoberevengeduponusfordraggingherouthere。
Shewantssomedreadfulthingtohappentous。Idon\'tknowwhat\'sinEdith\'shead，butitisn\'tfun。BobbywantstobenearElsie，andnomore。Boydwantswhathehasalwayswanted——theonlythingheeverwantedthathedidn\'tget。Castletonhasahorriblebloodthirstydesiretokillsomething。\"
\"Ideclarenow，Iwanttorideandcampout，also，\"protestedCastleton。
\"Asformyself，\"wentonHelen，\"Iwant——Oh，ifIonlyknewwhatitisthatIwant！Well，IknowIwanttobeoutdoors，togetintotheopen，tofeelsunandwind，toburnsomecolorintomywhiteface。Iwantsomefleshandbloodandlife。Iamtiredout。BeyondallthatIdon\'tknowverywell。I\'lltrytokeepDotfromattachingallthecowboystohertrain。\"
\"Whatadiversityofwants！\"saidMadeline。
\"Aboveall，Majesty，wewantsomethingtohappen，\"concludedHelen，withpassionatefinality。
\"Mydearsister，maybeyouwillhaveyourwishfulfilled，\"
repliedMadeline，soberly。\"Edith，Helenhasmademecuriousaboutyourespecialyearning。\"
\"Majesty，itisonlythatIwantedtobewithyouforawhile，\"
repliedthisoldfriend。
Therewasinthewistfulreply，accompaniedbyadarkandeloquentglanceofeyes，whattoldMadelineofEdith\'sunderstanding，ofhersympathy，andperhapsabetrayalofherownunquietsoul。ItsaddenedMadeline。Howmanywomenmighttherenotbewhohadthelongingtobreakdownthebarsoftheircage，buthadnotthespirit！
XIIICowboyGolfInthewhirlofthesucceedingdaysitwasamootedquestionwhetherMadeline\'sguestsorhercowboysorherselfgotthekeenestenjoymentoutoftheflyingtime。Consideringthesamenessofthecowboys\'ordinarylife，shewasinclinedtothinktheymadethemostofthepresent。StillwellandStewart，however，hadfoundthesituationtrying。Theworkoftheranchhadtogoon，andsomeofitgotsadlyneglected。Stillwellcouldnotresisttheladiesanymorethanhecouldresistthefunintheextraordinarygoings-onofthecowboys。Stewartalonekeptthebusinessofcattle-raisingfromaserioussetback。Earlyandlatehewasinthesaddle，drivingthelazyMexicanswhomhehadhiredtorelievethecowboys。
OnemorninginJuneMadelinewassittingontheporchwithhermerryfriendswhenStillwellappearedonthecorralpath。HehadnotcometoconsultMadelineforseveraldays——anomissionsounusualastoberemarked。
\"HerecomesBill——introuble，\"laughedFlorence。
Indeed，heboresomefaintresemblancetoathundercloudasheapproachedtheporch；butthegreetingshegotfromMadeline\'sparty，especiallyfromHelenandDorothy，chasedawaytheblacknessfromhisfaceandbroughtthewonderfulwrinklingsmile。
\"MissMajesty，sureI\'masaddemoralizedoldcattleman，\"hesaid，presently。\"An\'I\'minneedofaheapofhelp。\"
\"What\'swrongnow？\"askedMadeline，withherencouragingsmile。
\"Wal，it\'ssoamazin\'strangewhatcowboyswilldo。Ijestamabouttogiveup。Why，youmightsaymycowboyswereallonstrikeforvacations。Whatdoyouthinkofthat？We\'vechangedtheshifts，shortenedhours，letonean\'anotheroffduty，hiredGreasers，an\'，infact，doneeverythin\'thatcouldbethoughtof。
Butthisvacationideegrowedworse。WhenStewartsethisfootdown，thentheboysbegintogetsick。NeverinmyborndaysasacattlemanhaveIheerdofsomanydiseases。An\'yououghttoseehowlamean\'crippledan\'weakmanyoftheboyshavegotallofasudden。Theideeofacowboycomin\'tomewithasorefingeran\'
askin\'tobeletoffforaday！There\'sBooly。NowI\'veknowedahosstofallalloverhim，an\'onctherolleddownacanon。
Neverbotheredhimatall。He\'sgotablisteronhisheel，aridin\'blister，an\'hesaysit\'sgoin\'toblood-poisonin\'ifhedoesn\'trest。There\'sJimBell。He\'sdevelopedwhathesaysisspinalmengalootis，orsomesuchlike。There\'sFrankieSlade。
Hesworehehadscarletfeverbecausehisfaceburntsored，I
guess，an\'whenIholleredthatscarletfeverwascontagiousan\'
hemustbeputawaysomewhere，heupan\'saysheguesseditwasn\'tthat。Buthewassureawfulsickan\'neededtoloafaroundan\'beamused。Why，evenNelsdoesn\'twanttoworkthesedays。Ifitwasn\'tforStewart，who\'shadGreaserswiththecattle，Idon\'tknowwhatI\'ddo。\"
\"Whyallthissuddenillnessandidleness？\"askedMadeline。
\"Wal，yousee，thetruthiseveryblamedcowboyontherangeexceptStewartthinksit\'shisboundendutytoentertaintheladies。\"
\"Ithinkthatisjustfine！\"exclaimedDorothyCoombs；andshejoinedinthegenerallaugh。
\"Stewart，then，doesn\'tcaretohelpentertainus？\"inquiredHelen，incuriousinterest。\"Wal，MissHelen，Stewartissuredifferentfromtheothercowboys，\"repliedStillwell。\"Yetheusedtobelikethem。ThereneverwasacowboyfullerofthedevilthanGene。Buthe\'schanged。He\'sforemanhere，an\'thatmustbeit。Alltheresponsibilityrestsonhim。Hesurehasnotimeforamusin\'theladies。\"
\"Iimaginethatisourloss，\"saidEdithWayne，inherearnestway。\"Iadmirehim。\"
\"Stillwell，youneednotbesodistressedwithwhatisonlygallantryintheboys，evenifitdoesmakeatemporaryconfusioninthework，\"saidMadeline。
\"MissMajesty，allIsaidisnotthehalf，northequarter，nornuthin\'ofwhat\'stroublin\'me，\"answeredhe，sadly。
\"Verywell；unburdenyourself。\"
\"Wal，thecowboys，exceptin\'Gene，havegoneplumbbatty，jestplaincrazyoverthisheahgameofgol-lof。\"
AmerrypealofmirthgreetedStillwell\'ssolemnassertion。
\"Oh，Stillwell，youareinfun，\"repliedMadeline。
\"IhopetodieifI\'mnotindaidearnest，\"declaredthecattleman。\"It\'sanamazin\'strangefact。AskFlo。She\'lltellyou。Sheknowscowboys，an\'howiftheyeverstartonsomethin\'
theyrideitastheyrideahoss。\"
Florencebeingappealedto，andevidentlyfeelingalleyesuponher，modestlyrepliedthatStillwellhadscarcelymisstatedthesituation。
\"Cowboysplayliketheyworkorfight，\"sheadded。\"Theygivetheirwholesoulstoit。Theyaregreatbigsimpleboys。\"
\"Indeedtheyare，\"saidMadeline。\"Oh，I\'mgladiftheylikethegameofgolf。Theyhavesolittleplay。\"
\"Wal，somethin\'sgottobedidifwe\'retogoonraisin\'cattleatHerMajesty\'sRancho，\"repliedStillwell。Heappearedbothdeliberateandresigned。
MadelinerememberedthatdespiteStillwell\'ssimplicityhewasasdeepasanyofhiscowboys，andtherewasabsolutelynogaginghimwherepossibilitiesoffunwereconcerned。Madelinefanciedthathisexaggeratedtalkaboutthecowboys\'suddencrazeforgolfwasinlinewithcertainotherremarkabletalesthathadlatelyemanatedfromhim。Someverystrangethingshadoccurredoflate，anditwasimpossibletotellwhetherornottheywereaccidents，merecoincidents，ordeep-laid，skilfullyworked-outdesignsofthefun-lovingcowboys。Certainlytherehadbeengreatfun，andattheexpenseofherguests，particularlyCastleton。SoMadelinewasatalosstoknowwhattothinkaboutStillwell\'slatestelaboration。Frommereforceofhabitshesympathizedwithhimandfounddifficultyindoubtinghisapparentsincerity。
\"Togobackaways，\"wentonStillwell，asMadelinelookedupexpectantly，\"yourecollectwhatpridetheboystookinfixin\'upthatgol-lofcourseoutonthemesa？Wal，theyworkedonthatjob，an\'thoughIneverseenanyothercourse，I\'llgambleyourscan\'tbebeat。Theboyswassurecuriousaboutthatgame。Yourecollectalsohowtheyallwantedtoseeyouan\'yourbrotherplay，an\'becaddiesforyou？Wal，wheneveryou\'dquitthey\'dgotoworktryin\'toplaythegame。MontyPrice，hewastheleadin\'
spirit。OldasIam，MissMajesty，an\'usedasIamtocowboyexcentrikities，InearlydroppeddaidwhenIheeredthatlittlehobble-footed，burned-upMontanacow-punchersaytherewasn\'tanygametooswellforhim，an\'gol-lofwasjusthisspeed。Seriousasapreacher，mindyou，hewas。An\'hewasalwayspractisin\'。
WhenStewartgavehimchargeofthecoursean\'theclub-housean\'
allthemfunnysticks，why，Montywastickledtodeath。Yousee，Montyissensitivethatheain\'tmuchgoodanymoreforcowboywork。Hewasgladtohaveajobthathedidn\'tfeelhewashangin\'tobykindness。Wal，hepractisedthegame，an\'hereadthebooksintheclub-house，an\'hegottheboystodoin\'thesame。Thatwasn\'tveryhard，Ireckon。Theyplayedearlyan\'
latean\'inthemoonlight。ForawhileMontywascoach，an\'theboysstoodit。ButprettysoonFrankieSladegotpuffedonhisgame，an\'hehadtohaveitoutwithMonty。Wal，Montybeathimbad。ThenoneafteranothertheotherboystackledMonty。Hebeatthemall。Afterthattheysplitupan\'begintoplaymatches，twoonaside。Foraspellthisworkedfine。Butcowboyscan\'tneverbesatisfiedlongonlesstheywinallthetime。Montyan\'LinkStevens，bothcripples，youmightsay，joinedforcesan\'electedtobeatallcomers。Wal，theydid，an\'
that\'sthetrouble。Longan\'patienttheothercowboystriedtobeatthemtwogamelegs，an\'hevn\'tdoneit。MebbeifMontyan\'
Linkwasperfectlysoundintheirlegsliketheothercowboystherewouldn\'thevbeensuchaholler。Butnosoundcowboys\'lleverstandforadisgracelikethat。Why，downatthebunksintheevenin\'sit\'ssomemortifyin\'thewayMontyan\'Linkcrowovertherestoftheoutfit。They\'vetakenonsuperiorairs。
Youcouldn\'treachuptoMontywithatrimmedsprucepole。An\'
Link——wal，he\'sjustamazin\'scornful。
\"\'It\'saswellgame，ain\'tit？\'saysLink，powerfulsarcastic。
\'Wal，what\'shurtin\'youlow-downcommoncowmen？Youkeepharpin\'
onMonty\'sgamelegan\'onmygameleg。Ifwehedgoodlegswe\'dbeatyouallthewuss。It\'sbrainsthatwinsingol-lof。Brainsan\'airstoocratikblood，whichofthesameyoufellerssurehevlittle。\'
\"An\'thenMontyheblowssmokepowerfulcarelessan\'superior，an\'hesays：
\"\'Sureit\'saswellgame。Youcow-headedgentsthinkbeefan\'
brawnoughttohevthecalloverskillan\'graymatter。You\'llallhevtobackupan\'getdown。Gooutan\'learnthegame。Youdon\'tknowabaffyfromaChineesandwich。Allyoucandoiswagglewithacluban\'fozzletheball。\'
\"WheneverMontygetstousin\'themqueernamestheboysgoroundkindofdotty。Montyan\'Linkhevgotthebooksan\'directionsofthegame，an\'theywon\'tlettheotherboysseethem。Theyshowtherules，butthat\'sall。An\'，ofcourse，everygameendsinarowalmostbeforeit\'sstarted。Theboysareallturribleinearnestaboutthisgol-lof。An\'Iwanttosay，forthegoodofranchin\'，nottomentionapossiblefight，thatMontyan\'Linkhevgottobebeat。There\'llbenopeaceroundthisranchtillthat\'sdone。\"
Madeline\'sguestsweremuchamused。Asforherself，inspiteofherscarcelyconsidereddoubt，Stillwell\'staleofwoeoccasionedheranxiety。However，shecouldhardlycontrolhermirth。
\"WhatintheworldcanIdo？\"
\"Wal，IreckonIcouldn\'tsay。Ionlycometoyouforadvice。
Itseemsthataqueerkindofgamehaslocoedmycowboys，an\'forthetimebein\'ranchin\'isatastandstill。Soundsridiculous，I
know，butcowboysareasstrangeaswildcattle。AllI\'msureofisthattheconceithasgottobetakenoutofMontyan\'Link。
Onct，justonct，willsquareit，an\'thenwecanresoomeourwork。\"
\"Stillwell，listen，\"saidMadeline，brightly。\"We\'llarrangeamatchgame，afoursome，betweenMontyandLinkandyourbestpickedteam。Castleton，whoisanexpertgolfer，willumpire。
Mysister，andfriends，andIwilltaketurnsascaddiesforyourteam。Thatwillbefair，consideringyoursistheweaker。
Caddiesmaycoach，andperhapsexpertadviceisallthatisnecessaryforyourteamtodefeatMonty\'s。\"
\"Agrandidee，\"declaredStillwell，withinstantdecision。\"Whencanwehavethismatchgame？\"
\"Why，to-day——thisafternoon。We\'llallrideouttothelinks。\"
\"Wal，IreckonI\'llbesomeindebtedtoyou，MissMajesty，an\'
allyourguests，\"repliedStillwell，warmly。Herosewithsombreroinhand，andatwinkleinhiseyethatagainpromptedMadelinetowonder。\"An\'nowI\'llbegoin\'tofixupforthegameofcowboygol-lof。Adios。\"
TheideawasasenthusiasticallyreceivedbyMadeline\'sguestsasithadbeenbyStillwell。Theywerehighlyamusedandspeculativetothepointoftakingsidesandmakingwagersontheirchoice。Moreover，thissituationsofranklyrevealedbyStillwellhadcompletedtheirdeepmystification。TheywerenowabsolutelynonplussedbythesingularcharacterofAmericancowboys。Madelinewaspleasedtonotehowseriouslytheyhadtakentheoldcattleman\'sstory。Shehadalittlethrobofwildexpectancythatmadeherbothfearanddelightintheafternoon\'sprospect。
TheJunedayshadsetinwarm；infact，hotduringthenoonhours：andthishadinculcatedinherinsatiablevisitorsatendencytoprofitbytheexperienceofthoseusedtotheSouthwest。Theyindulgedintherestfulsiestaduringtheheatedtermoftheday。
MadelinewasawakenedbyMajesty\'swell-knownwhistleandpoundingonthegravel。Thensheheardtheotherhorses。Whenshewentoutshefoundherpartyassembledingalagolfattire，andwithspiritstomatchtheircostumes。Castleton，especially，appearedresplendentinagolfcoatthatbeggareddescription。
MadelinehadfaintmisgivingswhenshereflectedonwhatMontyandNelsandNickmightdoundertheinfluenceofthatblazinggarment。
\"Oh。Majesty，\"criedHelen，asMadelinewentuptoherhorse，\"don\'tmakehimkneel！Trythatflyingmount。Weallwanttoseeit。It\'ssostunning。\"
\"Butthatway，too，Imusthavehimkneel，\"saidMadeline，\"orI
can\'treachthestirrup。He\'ssotremendouslyhigh。\"
Madelinehadtoyieldtothelaughinginsistenceofherfriends，andafterallofthemexceptFlorencewereupshemadeMajestygodownononeknee。Thenshestoodonhisleftside，facingback，andtookagoodfirmgriponthebridleandpommelandhismane。
AftershehadslippedthetoeofherbootfirmlyintothestirrupshecalledtoMajesty。Hejumpedandswungherupintothesaddle。
\"NowjusttoseehowitoughttobedonewatchFlorence，\"saidMadeline。
TheWesterngirlwasatherbestinriding-habitandwithherhorse。Itwasbeautifultoseetheeaseandgracewithwhichsheaccomplishedthecowboys\'flyingmount。Thensheledthepartydowntheslopeandacrosstheflattoclimbthemesa。
Madelineneversawagroupofhercowboyswithoutlookingthemover，almostunconsciously，forherforeman，GeneStewart。Thisafternoon，asusual，hewasnotpresent。However，shenowhadasense——ofwhichshewaswhollyconscious——thatshewasbothdisappointedandirritated。Hehadreallynotbeenattentivetoherguests，andhe，ofallhercowboys，wastheoneofwhomtheywantedmosttoseesomething。Helen，particularly，hadaskedtohavehimattendthematch。ButStewartwaswiththecattle。
Madelinethoughtofhisfaithfulness，andwasashamedofhermomentarylapseintothatoldimperioushabitofdesiringthingsirrespectiveofreason。
Stewart，however，immediatelyslippedoutofhermindasshesurveyedthegroupofcowboysonthelinks。Byactualcountthereweresixteen，notincludingStillwell。Andthesamenumberofsplendidhorses，allshinyandclean，grazedontheriminthecareofMexicanlads。Thecowboyswereondress-parade，lookingverydifferentinMadeline\'seyes，atleast，fromthewaycowboysusuallyappeared。Buttheywererealandnaturaltoherguests；
andtheyweresopicturesquethattheymighthavebeenstagecowboysinsteadofrealones。Sombreroswithsilverbucklesandhorsehairbandswereinevidence；andbrightsilkscarfs，embroideredvests，fringedandornamentedchaps，hugeswingingguns，andclinkingsilverspurslentafestiveappearance。
Madelineandherpartywereatonceeagerlysurroundedbythecowboys，andshefounditdifficulttorepressasmile。Ifthesecowboyswerestillremarkabletoher，whatmusttheybetoherguests？
\"Wal，you-allracedover，Iseen，\"saidStillwell，takingMadeline\'sbridle。\"Getdown——getdown。We\'resureamazin\'gladan\'proud。An\'，MissMajesty，I\'mofferin\'tobegpawdinforthewaytheboysarepackin\'guns。Mebbeitain\'tpolite。Butit\'sStewart\'sorders。\"
\"Stewart\'sorders！\"echoedMadeline。Herfriendsweresuddenlysilent。
\"Ireckonhewon\'ttakenochancesontheboysbein\'surprisedsuddenbyraiders。An\'there\'sraidersoperatin\'infromtheGuadalupes。That\'sall。Nothin\'toworryover。Iwasjustexplainin\'。\"
Madeline，withseveralofherparty，expressedrelief，butHelenshowedexcitementandthendisappointment。
\"Oh，Iwantsomethingtohappen！\"shecried。
Sixteenpairsofkeencowboyeyesfastenedintentlyuponherpretty，petulantface；andMadelinedivined，ifHelendidnot，thatthedesiredconsummationwasnotfaroff。
\"SodoI，\"saidDotCoombs。\"Itwouldbeperfectlylovelytohavearealadventure。\"
Thegazeofthesixteencowboysshiftedandsoughtthedemurefaceofthisotherdiscontentedgirl。Madelinelaughed，andStillwellworehisstrange，movingsmile。
\"Wal，Ireckonyouladiessurewon\'thavetogohomeunhappy，\"hesaid。\"Why，asbossofthisheahoutfitI\'dfeelmyselfdisgracedforeverifyoudidn\'thaveyourwish。Justwait。An\'
now，ladies，thematteronhandmaynotbeamusin\'orexcitin\'toyou；buttothisheahcowboyoutfitit\'spowerfulimportant。An\'
allthehelpyoucangiveuswillsurebethankfullyreceived。
Takealookacrossthelinks。Doyou-allseethemtwoapologiesforhumanbein\'sprancin\'likeacoupleofhobbledbroncs？Wal，you\'regazin\'atMontyPricean\'LinkStevens，whohaveofasuddengottooswelltoassociatewiththeiroldbunkies。
They\'repractisin\'forthetoornament。Theydon\'twantmyboystoseehowtheyhandlethemcrookedclubs。\"
\"Haveyoupickedyourteam？\"inquiredMadeline。
Stillwellmoppedhisredfacewithanimmensebandana，andshowedsomethingofconfusionandperplexity。
\"I\'vesixteenboys，an\'theyallwanttoplay，\"hereplied。
\"Pickin\'theteamain\'tgoin\'tobeaneasyjob。Mebbeitwon\'tbehealthy，either。There\'sNelsandNick。Theyjuststatedcheerful-likethatiftheydidn\'tplaywewon\'thaveanygameatall。Nicknevertriedbefore，an\'Nels，allhewantsistogetacrackatMontywithoneofthemcrookedclubs。\"
\"Isuggestyouletallyourboysdrivefromtheteeandchoosethetwowhodrivethefarthest，\"saidMadeline。
Stillwell\'sperplexedfacelightedup。
\"Wal，that\'saplumbgoodidee。Theboys\'llstandforthat。\"
Wherewithhebrokeuptheadmiringcircleofcowboysroundtheladies。
\"Graparope——Imeanaclub——allyoucow-punchers，an\'marchoverhyaran\'takeaswipeatthislittlewhitebean。\"
Thecowboysobeyedwithalacrity。Therewasconsiderabledifficultyoverthechoiceofclubsandwhoshouldtryfirst。
Thelatterquestionhadtobeadjustedbylot。However，afterFrankieSlademadeseveralineffectualattemptstohittheballfromtheteeing-ground，atlasttosenditonlyafewyards，theotherplayerswerenotsoeagertofollow。StillwellhadtopushBoolyforward，andBoolyexecutedamostmiserableshotandretiredtothelaughingcommentsofhiscomrades。Theeffortsofseveralsucceedingcowboysattestedtotheextremedifficultyofmakingagooddrive。
\"Wal，Nick，it\'syourturn，\"saidStillwell。
\"Bill，Iain\'tsoall-firedparticularaboutplayin\'，\"repliedNick。
\"Why？Youwasroarin\'aboutitalittlewhileago。Afraidtoshowhowbadyou\'llplay？\"
\"Nope，jestplainconsiderationformyfellercow-punchers，\"
answeredNick，withspirit。\"I\'mappreciatin\'howbadtheyplay，an\'I\'mnotmeanenoughtoshowthemup。\"
\"Wal，you\'vegottoshowme，\"saidStillwell。\"Iknowyouneverseenagol-lofstickinyourlife。What\'smore，I\'llbetyoucan\'thitthatlittleballsquare——notinadozencracksatit。\"
\"Bill，I\'malsotoomuchofagenttotakeyourmoney。ButyouknowI\'mfromMissouri。Gimmeaclub。\"
Nick\'sangryconfidenceseemedtoevaporateasoneafteranotherhetookupandhandledtheclubs。Itwasplainthathehadneverbeforewieldedone。But，also，itwasplainthathewasnotthekindofamantogivein。Finallyheselectedadriver，lookeddoubtfullyatthesmallknob，andthensteppedintopositionontheteeing-ground。
NickSteelestoodsixfeetfourinchesinheight。Hehadtherider\'swiryslenderness，yethewasbroadofshoulder。Hisarmswerelong。Manifestlyhewasanexceedinglypowerfulman。Heswingthedriveraloftandwhirleditdownwithatremendousswing。Crack！Thewhiteballdisappeared，andfromwhereithadbeenroseatinycloudofdust。
Madeline\'squicksightcaughttheballasitlinedsomewhattotheright。Itwasshootinglowandlevelwiththespeedofabullet。Itwentupandupinswift，beautifulflight，thenlostitsspeedandbegantosail，tocurve，todrop；anditfelloutofsightbeyondtherimofthemesa。Madelinehadneverseenadrivethatapproachedthisone。Itwasmagnificent，beyondbeliefexceptforactualevidenceofherowneyes。
TheyellingofthecowboysprobablybroughtNickSteeleoutoftheastoundingspellwithwhichhebeheldhisshot。ThenNick，suddenlyalivetothesituation，recoveredfromhistranceand，restingnonchalantlyuponhisclub，hesurveyedStillwellandtheboys。Aftertheirfirstsurprisedoutbursttheyweredumb。
You-allseenthet？\"Nickgrandlywavedhishand。\"ThaughtIwasjoshin\'，didn\'tyou？Why，IusedtogotoSt。Louisan\'KansasCitytoplaythisheregame。Therewassometalkofthegolfclubstakin\'medownEasttoplaythechampions。ButInevercaredferthegame。Tooeasyferme！ThemfellersbackinMissouriwerealotofcheapdubs，anyhow，alwayskickin\'becausewheneverIhitaballhardIalwayslostit。Why，Ihedtohitsortofleft-handedtolet\'emstayinmyclass。Nowyou-allcangoaheadan\'playMontyan\'Link。Icouldbeat\'emboth，playin\'
withonehand，ifIwantedto。ButIain\'tinterested。Ijesthitthetballoffthemesatoshowyou。Isurewouldn\'tbeseenplayin\'onyourteam。\"
WiththatNicksaunteredawaytowardthehorses。tillwellappearedcrushed。AndnotascornfulwordwashurledafterNick，whichfactprovedthenatureofhisvictory。ThenNelsstrodeintothelimelight。Asfarasitwaspossibleforthisiron-facedcowboytobeso，hewasblandandsuave。HeremarkedtoStillwellandtheothercowboysthatsometimesitwaspainfulforthemtojudgeofthegiftsofsuperiorcowboyssuchasbelongedtoNickandhimself。HepickeduptheclubNickhadusedandcalledforanewball。Stillwellcarefullybuiltupalittlemoundofsandand，placingtheballuponit，squaredawaytowatch。Helookedgrimandexpectant。
NelswasnotsolargeamanasNick，anddidnotlooksoformidableashewavedhisclubatthegapingcowboys。Stillhewaslithe，tough，strong。Briskly，withadebonairmanner，hesteppedupandthendeliveredamightyswingattheball。Hemissed。Thepowerandmomentumofhisswingflunghimoffhisfeet，andheactuallyturnedupsidedownandspunroundonhishead。Thecowboyshowled。Stillwell\'sstentorianlaughrolledacrossthemesa。Madelineandherguestsfounditimpossibletorestraintheirmirth。AndwhenNelsgotuphecastareproachfulglanceatMadeline。Hisfeelingswerehurt。
Hissecondattempt，notbyanymeanssoviolent，resultedinascleanamissasthefirst，andbroughtjeersfromthecowboys。
Nels\'sredfaceflamedredder。Angrilyheswungagain。Themoundofsandspreadovertheteeing-groundandtheexasperatinglittleballrolledafewinches。Thistimehehadtobuildupthesandmoundandreplacetheballhimself。Stillwellstoodscornfullyby，andtheboysaddressedremarkstoNels。
\"Takeoffthemblinders，\"saidone。
\"Nels，youreyesareshorebad，\"saidanother。
\"Youdon\'thitwhereyoulook。\"
\"Nels，yourlefteyehassprungalimp。\"
\"Why，youdog-gonedoldfule，youcain\'thitthetbawl。\"
Nelsessayedagain，onlytomeetignominiousfailure。Thencarefullyhegatheredhimselftogether，gageddistance，balancedtheclub，swungcautiously。Andtheheadoftheclubmadeabeautifulcurveroundtheball。
\"Shoreit\'sjestthetcrookedclub，\"hedeclared。
Hechangedclubsandmadeanothersignalfailure。Ragesuddenlypossessinghim，hebegantoswingwildly。Always，itappeared，theillusivelittleballwasnotwhereheaimed。Stillwellhunchedhishugebulk，leanedhandsonknees，androaredhisriotousmirth。Thecowboysleapedupanddowninglee。
\"Youcain\'thitthetbawl，\"sangoutoneofthenoisiest。Afewmorewhirling，desperatelungesonthepartofNels，allasfutileasiftheballhadbeenthinair，finallybroughttothedoggedcowboyarealizationthatgolfwasbeyondhim。
Stillwellbawled：\"Oh，haw，haw，haw！Nels，you\'re——tooold——
eyesnogood！\"
Nelsslammeddowntheclub，andwhenhestraightenedupwiththeredleavinghisface，thentherealprideandfireofthemanshowed。Deliberatelyhesteppedofftenpacesandturnedtowardthelittlemounduponwhichrestedtheball。Hisarmshotdown，elbowcrooked，handlikeaclaw。
\"Aw，Nels，thisisfun！\"yelledStillwell。
ButswiftasagleamoflightNelsflashedhisgun，andthereportcamewiththeaction。Chipsflewfromthegolf-ballasittumbledfromthemound。Nelshadhititwithoutraisingtiledust。Thenhedroppedthegunbackinitssheathandfacedthecowboys。
\"Mebbemyeyesain\'tsoorfulbad，\"hesaid，coolly，andstartedtowalkoff。
\"Butlookah-heah，Nels，\"yelledStillwell，\"wecomeouttoplaygol-lof！Wecan\'tletyouknocktheballaroundwithyourgun。
What\'dyouwanttogetmadfor？It\'sonlyfun。Nowyouan\'Nickhangroundheahan\'besociable。Weain\'tdepreciatin\'yourcompanynone，noryourusefulnessonoccasions。An\'ifyoujusthain\'tgotinbornpolitenesssufficienttodothegallantbeforetheladies，why，rememberStewart\'sorders。\"
\"Stewart\'sorders？\"queriedNels，comingtoasuddenhalt。
\"That\'swhatIsaid，\"repliedStillwell，withasperity。\"Hisorders。Areyouforgettin\'orders？Wal，you\'reafinecowboy。
Youan\'Nickan\'Monty，\'specially，aretoobeyorders。\"
Nelstookoffhissombreroandscratchedhishead。\"Bill，I
reckonI\'msomeforgetful。ButIwasmad。I\'d\'a\'rememberedprettysoon，an\'mebbemymanners。\"
\"Sureyouwould，\"repliedStillwell。\"Wal，now，wedon\'tseemtobeproceedin\'muchwithmygol-lofteam。Nextambitiousplayerstepup。\"
InAmbrose，whoshowedsomeskillindriving，Stillwellfoundoneofhisteam。Thesucceedingplayers，however，weresopoorandsoevenlymatchedthattheearnestStillwellwasindespair。HelosthistemperjustasspeedilyasNelshad。FinallyEdLinton\'swifeappearedridingupwithAmbrose\'swife，andperhapsthishelped，forEdsuddenlydisclosedabilitythatmadeStillwellsinglehimout。
\"Letmecoachyoualittle，\"saidBill。
\"Sure，ifyoulike，\"repliedEd。\"ButIknowmoreaboutthisgamethanyoudo。\"
\"Wal，then，let\'sseeyouhitaballstraight。Seemstomeyougotgoodall-firedquick。It\'samazin\'strange。\"ereBilllookedaroundtodiscoverthetwoyoungwivesmodestlycastingeyesofadmirationupontheirhusbands。\"Haw，haw！Itain\'tsodarnedstrange。Mebbethat\'llhelpsome。Now，Ed，standupanddon\'tslingyourclubasifyouwasropin\'asteer。Comeroundeasy-likean\'hitstraight。\"
Edmadeseveralattemptswhich，althoughbetterthanthoseofhispredecessors，wereratherdiscouragingtotheexactingcoach。
Presently，afteraparticularlyatrociousshot，Stillwellstrodeindistresshereandthere，andfinallystoppedadozenpacesormoreinfrontoftheteeing-ground。Ed，whoforacowboywassomewhatphlegmatic，calmlymadereadyforanotherattempt。
\"Fore！\"hecalled。
Stillwellstared。
\"Fore！\"yelledEd。
\"Why\'reyouhollerin\'thatwayatme？\"demandedBill。
\"Imeanforyoutolopeoffthehorizon。Getbackfrominfront。\"
\"Oh，thatwasoneofthemdurnedcrazywordsMontyisalwayshollerin\'。Wal，IreckonI\'msafeenoughhyar。Youcouldn\'thitmeinamillionyears。\"
\"Bill，oozeaway，\"urgedEd。
\"Didn\'tIsayyoucouldn\'thitme？WhatamIcoachin\'youfor？
It\'sbecauseyouhitcrooked，ain\'tit？Wal，goahaidan\'breakyourback。\"
EdLintonwasashort，heavyman，andhisstockybuildgaveevidenceofconsiderablestrength。Hisformerstrokeshadnotbeenmadeattheexpenseofexertion，butnowhegotreadyforasupremeeffort。Asuddensilenceclampeddownupontheexuberantcowboys。Itwasoneofthosefatefulmomentswhentheairwaschargedwithdisaster。AsEdswungtheclubitfairlywhistled。
Crack！Instantlycameathump。ButnoonesawtheballuntilitdroppedfromStillwell\'sshrinkingbody。Hisbighandswentspasmodicallytotheplacethathurt，andaterriblegroanrumbledfromhim。
Thenthecowboysbrokeintoafrenzyofmirththatseemedtofindadequateexpressiononlyindancingandrollingaccompanimenttotheirhowls。Stillwellrecoveredhisdignityassoonashecaughthisbreath，andheadvancedwitharuefulface。
\"Wal，boys，it\'sonBill，\"hesaid。\"I\'malivin\'proofofthepig-headednessofmankind。Ed，youwin。You\'recaptainoftheteam。Youhitstraight，an\'ifIhadn\'tbeenobstructin\'thegeneralatmospherethatballwouldsurehavegonecleartotheChiricahuas。\"
Thenmakingamegaphoneofhishugehands，heyelledaloudblastofdefianceatMontyandLink。
\"Hey，youswellgol-lofers！We\'rewaitin\'。Comeonifyouain\'tscared。\"
InstantlyMontyandLinkquitpractising，andliketwoemperorscamestalkingacrossthelinks。
\"Guessmybluffdidn\'tworkmuch，\"saidStillwell。ThenheturnedtoMadelineandherfriends。\"SureIhope，MissMajesty，thatyou-allwon\'tweakenan\'goovertotheenemy。Montyissomeeloquent，an\'，besides，hehasawayofgettin\'peopletoagreewithhim。He\'llbeplumpwildwhenheheahswhathean\'Linkareupagainst。Butit\'sasquaredeal，becausehewouldn\'thelpusorlendthebookthatshowshowtoplay。An\'，besides，it\'spolicyforustobeathim。Now，ifyou\'llelectwho\'stobecaddiesan\'umpireI\'llbepowerfulobliged。\"
Madeline\'sfriendswerehugelyamusedovertheprospectivematch；
but，exceptforDorothyandCastleton，theydisclaimedanyambitionforactiveparticipation。Accordingly，MadelineappointedCastletontojudgetheplay，DorothytoactascaddieforEdLinton，andsheherselftobecaddieforAmbrose。WhileStillwellbeaminglyannouncedthismomentousnewstohisteamandsupportersMontyandLinkwerestridingup。
Bothwerediminutiveinsize，bow-legged，lameinonefoot，andaltogetherunprepossessing。Linkwasyoung，andMonty\'syears，morethantwiceLink\'s，hadlefttheirmark。ButitwouldhavebeenimpossibletotellMonty\'sage。AsStillwellsaid，Montywasburnedtothecolorandhardnessofacinder。Henevermindedtheheat，andalwaysworeheavysheepskinchapswiththewooloutside。Thismadehimlookbroaderthanhewaslong。
Link，partialtoleather，had，sincehebecameMadeline\'schauffeur，takentoleatheraltogether。Hecarriednoweapon，butMontyworeahugegun-sheathandgun。Linksmokedacigaretteandlookedcoollyimpudent。Montywasdark-faced，swaggering，foralltheworldlikeabarbarianchief。
\"ThatMontymakesmyfleshcreep，\"saidHelen，low-voiced。
\"Really，Mr。Stillwell，ishesobad——desperate——asI\'veheard？
Didheeverkillanybody？\"
\"Sure。\'MostasmanyasNels，\"repliedStillwell，cheerfully。
\"Oh！AndisthatniceMr。Nelsadesperado，too？Iwouldn\'thavethoughtso。He\'ssokindandold-fashionedandsoft-voiced。\"
\"Nelsissureanexampleofthedooplicityofmen，MissHelen。
Don\'tyoulistentohissoftvoice。He\'sreallyasbadasaside-winderrattlesnake。\"
AtthisjunctureMontyandLinkreachedtheteeing-ground，andStillwellwentouttomeetthem。Theothercowboyspressedforwardtosurroundthetrio。MadelineheardStillwell\'svoice，andevidentlyhewasexplainingthathisteamwastohaveskilledadviceduringtheplay。Suddenlytherecamefromthecenterofthegroupaloud，angryroarthatbrokeoffassuddenly。Thenfollowedexcitedvoicesallmingledtogether。PresentlyMontyappeared，breakingawayfromrestraininghands，andhestrodetowardMadeline。
MontyPricewasatypeofcowboywhohadneverbeenknowntospeaktoawomanunlesshewasfirstaddressed，andthenheansweredinblunt，awkwardshyness。Uponthisgreatoccasion，however，itappearedthathemeanttoprotestorpleadwithMadeline，forheshowedstressofemotion。MadelinehadnevergottenacquaintedwithMonty。Shewasalittleinawe，ifnotinfear，ofhim，andnowshefounditimperativeforhertokeepinmindthatmorethananyotherofthewildfellowsonherranchthisoneshouldbedealtwithasifhewereabigboy。