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 off some night he wakes up in the morning and finds she's gone off with some other feller. Well, it never happened to me, and it ain't never goin' to happen."

"I should hope not, Fred. Done?"

"All set."

Fred picked up his gun and walked ahead of Barrett as they left the room. After they had adjusted the damage, as Fred called it, Cattle Kate rushed back to the dining-room in her quick come and go way, skirmishing around from table to table to see that the. Indian girl was doing all possible to maintain the reputation of the house. She brought up at a table where two cowpunchers sat who had the look of greenhorns on the range, and remained talking with them.

"Kate's red-headed, hoppin' mad!" said Dan, full of glee that he could not hide.

"You don't seem to be much worried over it," Barrett remarked.

"Me? I'm shoutin', I'm settin' on a log pattin' juber. Dale and Alma rode clean over here the other evenin'—to buy two spools of thread!"

"The—hell—you—say!" said Fred, drawing a longer interval between words as they left his astonished mouth.

"Twenty-four miles for two spools of thread!" Dan chuckled. "Say, do you fellers know they're goin' to have a dance at Four Corners next Tuesday night?"

Neither of them had heard of it. But Fred said he thought it was about time for the fall festivities to begin on the range.

"Alma told Cattle Kate Dale's goin' to take her to