Part 33 (1/2)

”Ba Goss! A'm lak A'm see you scare wan tam'! You bet A'm ride wan hondre mile to laff on you. You git de dam' fine 'oman. Now you got to mak' her, w'at you call, de happiness. Bye-m-bye, Ol' Bat, she git to ol' to ride de range--to cook. Den A'm joos' stay 'roun' an' look aftaire _les enfants_. A'm show um how to ride, an' shoot, an' t'row de rope--joos' so good lak de _pere_ kin do, _ah voila_!”

Janet fled precipitously for the cabin, and as Bat mounted Cinnabar's horse and headed out onto the trail, the Texan turned to Grimshaw: ”Slip over to McWhorter's tomorrow, Ca.s.s,” he invited--”I'd like to have you there.”

Grimshaw hesitated just a moment: ”You're sure you want me? You ain't askin' me just so I won't feel--left out? An' how about the others? How about yer--wife? She never has had no time for us horse-thieves.”

The Texan smiled: ”She's learnt a lot in the last couple of hours, Ca.s.s.

If you ain't at the weddin' she'll be the most disappointed one of all.”

”All right, boy--I'll come. I got to be goin' now.” He ran his fingers over his stubby beard, ”Sure is goin' to be h.e.l.l to shave.”

As the Texan swung from his horse, a feminine shriek of joy directed his attention toward the cabin, where in the doorway Alice and Janet stood locked in each other's embrace--laughing, crying, talking all at once, while Endicott smilingly beckoned to Tex.

”Oh, you darling!” Alice was saying, ”I'm so glad! I picked you for him the moment I laid eyes on you--and then I nearly spoiled it all by my eulogy.”

”But--” stammered Janet, ”what about the other girl--the one from the East--that you were going to invite out? You said she was beautiful--and--and adorable and--you were just going to _make_ her marry him!”

”From the East!” Alice exclaimed, ”I'm sure I didn't say anything about the East. I said there was a girl friend of mine--and I did say she was beautiful and adorable--and she is--and I said I was going to invite her to come and make me a long visit--and I _did_ invite her--before she left the room in a huff--and went tearing off into the bad lands to find her lover----”

Janet smothered the rest of the sentence in kisses: ”Well, anyway--you didn't make her marry him,” she said, ”because she intended to marry him anyway--if she could get him to ask her!”

A couple of hours later while the three women were in the cabin preparing supper, Tex, and Endicott, and Cinnabar sat outside and talked and listened to the sounds of laughter that floated through the door.

”Look at old Whiskers comin',” said Tex, indicating a horseman who appeared around the corner of the barn.

Cinnabar chuckled: ”Whiskers! Why man, that's yer new dad! That's old Colin McWhorter--an' if you don't make a hit with him, believe me--he'll cut your head off!”

The huge Scotchman dismounted, nodded and addressed Cinnabar Joe: ”Ha'

ye seen my daughter?” Before Cinnabar could answer the girl herself rushed from the door and threw herself into the big man's arms: ”Theer, theer, wee la.s.s, ha' they hurt ye? Ye're face is red like the fire-weed!

I'll----”

”No! No! Dad! I'm--so happy! I'm--I'm going to be married tomorrow! I want you to meet my--Mr. Benton--Tex! And, oh Dad--you'll just love him!

I knew it was all a mistake--about that horrid hand-bill--here are Mr.

and Mrs. Endicott--they know him well--and Cinnabar and his wife have known him for years.”

McWhorter stood glaring at Tex who returned him look for look. ”Was it for thot I looked after her a' her life--educated her--thot she sh'ud marry a common cowpuncher!”

The Texan stepped directly before him and reaching up a finger tapped the irate man's breast: ”Look here, old timer. I'm a common cowpuncher, just as you say--but, at that, I don't take off my hat to any sheep-man!

You an' I are goin' to be big friends, once we get strung out. I like you already. I've got you sized up for one of the biggest hearted old specimens on the range. But, at that, you like to get your growl in--an'

get it in first. Well--you've growled--an' you haven't fooled no one--nor scairt no one. If you want a little further dope on me here goes. I'm from Texas--come from good enough folks down there so they haven't been able to beat the Old Man for Congress in twenty years. I've be'n somethin' of a black sheep--but the black's wearin' off in spots.