Page:Old ninety-nine's cave.djvu/198

 youngest gal and my Elsie is real thick. Better hold on till Saturday and my gal'll ride along with you. She wants to spend Sunday there. My da'ter is doin' some tradin' in town, but she'll be home to-morrow."

It was now Thursday so Jack signified his willingness to do so, incidentally adding that he would like to buy a horse.

"Reckon I can suit you," returned Mr. Kurtz with pardonable pride.

But Jack was nodding, and he threw himself on a husk bed, oblivious of everything till noon the next day.

At dinner, he saw Miss Kurtz, who had ridden in from Fredericksburgh on her spirited little mustang. Her dancing eyes and brown, healthy complexion gave evidence of the invigorating atmosphere of the plains and, though somewhat shy, she was a really attractive girl of about eighteen years. Her admiration for Jack was poorly concealed and, as most young men would have done under the circumstances he set about to make himself agreeable. He described Nootwyck, his fam