The Flying U Ranch | Page 8

plumb simple-minded."
When the curling was done to the hilarious satisfaction of Irish and
Pink, and, while Pink was dancing in them to show them off, another
entered with mail from town. And, because the mail- bearer was Andy
Green himself, back from a winter's journeyings, Cal, Happy Jack and
Slim followed close behind, talking all at once, in their joy at beholding
the man they loved well and hated occasionally also. Andy delivered
the mail into the hands of the Little Doctor, pinched the Kid's cheek,
and said how he had grown good-looking as his mother, almost, spoke
a cheerful howdy to the Countess, and turned to shake hands with Pink.
It was then that the honest, gray eyes of him widened with amazement.
"Well, by golly!" gasped Slim, goggling at the chaps of Miguel.
"That there Natiff Son'll just about kill yuh for that," warned Happy
Jack, as mournfully as he might with laughing. "He'll knife yuh, sure."
Andy, demanding the meaning of it all, learned all about Miguel
Rapponi--from the viewpoint of the Happy Family. At least, he learned
as much as it was politic to tell in the presence of the Little Doctor; and
afterward, while Pink was putting the chaps back upon the willow,

where Miguel had left them, he was told that they looked to him, Andy
Green, for assistance.
"Oh, gosh! You don't want to depend on me, Pink," Andy expostulated
modestly. "I can't think of anything--and, besides, I've reformed. I don't
know as it's any compliment to me, by gracious--being told soon as I
land that I'm expected to lie to a perfect stranger."
"You come on down to the stable and take a look at his saddle and
bridle," urged Cal. "And wait till you see him smoking and looking past
you, as if you was an ornery little peak that didn't do nothing but
obstruct the scenery. I've seen mean cusses--lots of 'em; and I've seen
men that was stuck on themselves. But I never--"
"Come outa that 'doby," Pink interrupted, "mud to his eyebrows, just
about. And he knew darned well we headed him in there deliberate.
And when I remarks it's soft going, he says: 'It is, kinda,'--just like
that." Pink managed to imitate the languid tone of Miguel very well.
"Not another word outa him. Didn't even make him mad! He--"
"Tell him about the parrots, Slim," Cal suggested soberly. But Slim
only turned purple at the memory, and swore.
"Old Patsy sure has got it in for him," Happy Jack observed. "He asked
Patsy if he ever had enchiladas. Patsy won't speak to him no more. He
claims Mig-u-ell insulted him. He told Mig-u-ell--"
"Enchiladas are sure fine eating," said Andy. "I took to 'em like a
she-bear to honey, down in New Mexico this winter. Your Native Son
is solid there, all right."
"Aw, gwan! He ain't solid nowhere but in the head. Maybe you'll love
him to death when yuh see him--chances is you will, if you've took to
eatin' dago grub."
Andy patted Happy Jack reassuringly on the shoulder. "Don't get
excited," he soothed. "I'll put it all over the gentleman, just to show my
heart's in the right place. Just this once, though; I've reformed. And I've

got to have time to size him up. Where do you keep him when he ain't
in the show window?" He swung into step with Pink. "I'll tell you the
truth," he confided engagingly. "Any man that'll wear chaps like he's
got--even leaving out the extra finish you fellows have given 'em--had
ought to be taught a lesson he'll remember. He sure must be a tough
proposition, if the whole bunch of yuh have had to give him up. By
gracious--"
"We haven't tried," Pink defended. "It kinda looked to us as if he was
aiming to make us guy him; so we didn't. We've left him strictly alone.
To-day"--he glanced over his shoulder to where the becurled chaps
swung comically from the willow branch--"to-day's the first time
anybody's made a move. Unless," he added, as an afterthought, "you
count yesterday in the 'doby patch--and even then we didn't tell him to
ride into it; we just let him do it."
"And kinda herded him over towards it," Cal amended slyly.
"Can he ride?" asked Andy, going straight to the main point, in the
mind of a cowpuncher.
"W-e-ell-he hasn't been piled, so far. But then," Pink qualified hastily,
"he hasn't topped anything worse than Crow- hop. He ain't hard to ride.
Happy Jack could--"
"Aw, I'm gittin' good and sick of' hearin' that there tune," Happy
growled indignantly. "Why don't you point out Slim as the limit, once
in a while?"
"Come on down to the stable, and let's talk it over," Andy suggested,
and led