after one of the liveliest times in the history of the Territory.'

"At this she laughed. 'Very well,' says she, 'I'll chance it, Mr.
Red.'

"'His name ain't Red,' puts in Darragh, solemn. 'His name's
Saunders. We call him Red becus uf his hair.'

"'I'm sure I beg your pardon,' says Miss Loys, all of a fluster.

"'That's all right, ma'am; no damage done at all,' says I. 'It's
useless for me to try to conceal the fact that my hair is a little
on the auburn. You mustn't mind what Darragh says. We've had a
good deal of hot weather lately and his brains have gone wrong.
Now hop in and we'll touch the breeze,' So I piled her trunk in
and away we flew.

"Bud and Dandy were a corking little team. They'd run the whole
distance from the railway to the ranch if you'd let 'em--and I
never interfered. A straight line and the keen jump hits me all
right when I'm going some place, although I can loaf with the next
man on occasion. So we missed most of the gulleys.

"The ponies were snorting and pulling grass, the buckboard bouncing
behind 'em like a rubber ball, and we were crowding into the teeth
of the northwest wind, which made it seem as if we were travelling
100 per cent. better than a Dutch clock would show.

"'Goodness gracious!' says the girl, 'do you always go like this in
this country? And aren't there any roads?'