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“I don’t recollect hearing anybody say we wanted to,” growled Jack Bates. “Irish, maybe, is still burning with a desire to be nice and chivalrous; but you can count me out. One dose is about all I can stand.”

“By golly, I wouldn’t go and feel that foolish again, not if yuh paid me for it,” Slim declared.

Irish grinned and reached for his hat. “I done my damnettest,” he said cheerfully. “I made the old girl happy once; now, one Irish Mallory is due to have a little joy coming his way. I’m going to town.”

“‘Break, break, break, on thy cold, gray crags, oh sea,
And I would that my tongue could utter the thoughts that come over me.’

“You will observe, gentlemen, the beautiful sentiment, the euphonious rhythm, the noble–” Weary went down, still declaiming mincingly, beneath four irate bodies that hurled themselves toward him and upon him.

“We’ll break, break, break every bone in your body if you don’t shut up. You will observe the beautiful sentiment of that a while,” cried Pink viciously. “I’ve had the euphonious rhythm of my sleep broke up ever since I set there and listened at her for two hours. Josephine!”

Irish stopped with his hand on the door knob. “I was the jay that started it,” he admitted contritely. “But, honest, I never had a hunch she was plumb locoed; I thought she was just simply foolish. Come on to town, boys!”

Such is the power of suggestion that in fifteen minutes the Happy Family had passed out of sight over the top of the grade; all save Andy Green, who told them he would be along after a while, and that they need not wait. He looked at the clock, smoked a meditative cigarette and went up to the White House, to attend the second meeting of the Mutual Improvement and Social Society.

When he faced alone Miss Verbena Martin, and explained that the other members were unavoidably absent because they had a grudge against a man in Dry Lake and had gone in to lynch him and burn the town, Miss Martin was shocked into postponing the meeting. Andy said he was glad, because he wanted to go in and see the fight; undoubtedly, he assured her, there would be a fight, and probably a few of them would get killed off. He reminded her that he had told her right in the start that they were a bad lot, and that she would have hard work reforming them; and finally, he made her promise that she would not mention to anyone what he had told her, because it wouldn’t be safe for him, or for her, if they ever got to hear of it. After that Andy also took the trail to town, and he went at a gallop and smiled as he rode.

Miss Martin reflected shudderingly upon the awful details of the crime, as hinted at by Andy, and packed her trunk. It might be brave and noble to stay and work among all those savages, but she doubted much whether it were after all her duty. She thought of many ways in which she could do more real good nearer home. She had felt all along that these cowboys were an untrustworthy lot; she had noticed them glancing at one another in a secret and treacherous manner, all through the last meeting, and she was positive they had not given her that full confidence without which no good can be accomplished. That fellow they called Happy looked capable of almost any crime; she had never felt quite safe in his presence.

Miss Martin pictured them howling and dancing around the burning dwellings of their enemies, shooting every one they could see; Miss Martin had imagination, of a sort. But while she pictured the horrors of an Indian massacre she continued to pack her suit-case and to consult often her watch. When she could do no more it occurred to her that she would better see if someone could take her to the station. Fortunately for all concerned, somebody could. One might go further and say that somebody was quite willing to strain a point, even, in order to get her there in time for the next train.

* * * * *

The Happy Family was gathered in Rusty Brown’s place, watching Irish do things to a sheep-man from Lonesome Prairie, in a game of pool. They were just giving vent to a prolonged whoop of derision at the sheep-man’s play, when a rig flashed by the window. Weary stopped with his mouth wide open and stared; leaned to the window and craned to see more clearly.

“Mama mine!” he ejaculated incredulously. “I could swear I saw Miss Verbena in that rig, with her trunk, and headed towards the depot. Feel my pulse, Cadwolloper, and see if I’m normal.”

But Pink was on his way to the back door, and from there climbed like a cat to the roof of the coal-house, where, as he knew from experience, one could see the trail to the depot, and the depot itself.

“It’s sure her,” he announced. “Chip’s driving like hell, and the smoke uh the train’s just coming around the bend from the big field. Wonder what struck her so sudden?” He turned and looked down into the grinning face of Andy Green.

“She was real insulted because you fellows played hookey,” Andy explained. “I tried to explain, but it didn’t help none. I don’t believe her heart went out to us like she claimed, anyhow.”