smiling she fancied it a most extraordinary smile. The next
instant she realized that it had been a smile, for his face
appeared to stop rippling, the light died, and suddenly it was
like rudely chiseled stone. The quality of hardness she had seen
in Stewart was immeasurably intensified in this old man's face.

"Miss Majesty, it's plumb humiliatin' to all of us thet we wasn't
on hand to meet you," Stillwell said. "Me an' Al stepped into
the P. O. an' said a few mild an' cheerful things. Them messages
ought to hev been sent out to the ranch. I'm sure afraid it was
a bit unpleasant fer you last night at the station."

"I was rather anxious at first and perhaps frightened," replied
Madeline.

"Wal, I'm some glad to tell you thet there's no man in these
parts except your brother thet I'd as lief hev met you as Gene
Stewart."

"Indeed?"

"Yes, an' thet's takin' into consideration Gene's weakness, too.
I'm allus fond of sayin' of myself thet I'm the last of the old
cattlemen. Wal, Stewart's not a native Westerner, but he's my
pick of the last of the cowboys. Sure, he's young, but he's the
last of the old style--the picturesque--an' chivalrous, too, I
make bold to say, Miss Majesty, as well as the old hard-ridin'
kind. Folks are down on Stewart. An' I'm only sayin' a good
word for him because he is down, an' mebbe last night he might
hev scared you, you bein' fresh from the East."