from a roller above one end of it was a rag of discouraging
appearance. The Virginian caught it, and it performed one
whirling revolution on its roller. Not a dry or clean inch could
be found on it. He took off his hat, and put his head in the
door.

"Your towel, ma'am," said he, "has been too popular."

She came out, a pretty woman. Her eyes rested upon him for a
moment, then upon me with disfavor; then they returned to his
black hair.

"The allowance is one a day," said she, very quietly. "But when
folks are particular--" She completed her sentence by removing
the old towel and giving a clean one to us.

"Thank you, ma'am," said the cow-puncher.

She looked once more at his black hair, and without any word
returned to her guests at supper.

A pail stood in the trough, almost empty; and this he filled for
me from a well. There was some soap sliding at large in the
trough, but I got my own. And then in a tin basin I removed as
many of the stains of travel as I was able. It was not much of a
toilet that I made in this first wash-trough of my experience,
but it had to suffice, and I took my seat at supper.

Canned stuff it was,--corned beef. And one of my table companions
said the truth about it. "When I slung my teeth over that," he