Page:J Allan Dunn--The Girl of Ghost Mountain.djvu/79

Rh "I imagine that their main motive is curosity," said Sheridan. "They might be less—boisterous—if we were present. Or so we fancied. "

"It was kind of you. To ride all the way around the mountain to help us receive our visitors. Do not think I underestimate it, Mr. Sheridan, Mr. Jackson. I think we can manage them—now. I understand what we might have expected. It will not be a surprise party. And we must entertain them. Thora makes delicious doughnuts. She made a batch today. Do you like doughnuts, Mr. Jackson?"

"Who? Me? Tackin' Mister to my name is like callin' a dawg or a hawss by a strange one, Miss. I presume you'll mean crullers. To my mind they've mostly been overestimated, or misunderstood, out West. I've heard they eat 'em for breakfas' back East but I reckon that's jest a yarn. I've eat crullers in the Pioche depot restyront an' they 'peared to me like an excuse for cookin' sawdust in grease. "

"Wait till you try Thora's. And we can make coffee. We have it powdered, in cans. Do you think they will like that?"

"Coffee, black and hot, might help them," said Sheridan. "And, by the way, Miss Burrows, what about that gate in the tunnel? A heavy one with a bar, set in a long frame. We could fix it for you in a day."

"You are thoughtful. It might be a good plan. But we have an enormous front yard. There could be no bell. How should we know when our friends called?"