"First I knew of the wind blowing yesterday. It was as hot as the hubs
uh he--as blue blazes when I came by. There weren't any windows up,
even--I hope you was real comfortable."

"Perfectly," she assured him.

"I'll gamble yuh were! Well, and where were yuh cached last Sunday?"

"Nowhere. I went with Bert and Miss Forsyth up in the mountains. We
took our lunch and had a perfectly lovely time."

"I'm glad somebody had a good time. I got away at nine o'clock and
came over to Meeker's--and you weren't there; so I rode the rim-rocks
till sundown, trying to locate yuh. It's easier hunting strays in the
Bad Lands."

Miss Satterly seemed about to speak, but she changed her mind and gazed
at the coulee-rim.

"It's hard to get away, these days," Weary went on explaining. "I
wanted to come before the dance, but we were gathering some stuff out
the other way, and I couldn't. The Old Man is shipping, yuh see; we're
holding a bunch right now, waiting for cars. I got Happy Jack to stand
herd in my place, is how I got here."

The schoolma'am yawned apologetically into her palm. Evidently she was
not greatly interested in the comings and goings of Weary Davidson.

"How did yuh like the dance?" he asked, coming to the subject that he