Holy John had awakened in the dim, early dawn and found the skeleton of
the Apache chief cuddling against him.

That morning, as I sat in the yard reading, the voices of Kid and Madge
came to me from around the corner of the house, and I heard a snatch of
their conversation.

"Madge, I 'm going to pull my freight. I won't work on the same ranch
with such a coward as that Holy John."

"Truly, Guy, are you going away?"

"Yes, I am. I ain't going to stop to ask for my time. I 'm going
to-day, before the boss comes home."

"Well, then, what am I going to do? You 're not going off to leave me?"

Silence for the space of ten seconds.

"Jiminy! Tell you what, you come too!"

"I can't! Mamma wouldn't let me!"

"Don't ask her. Come right along with me! We 'll elope! That's more
fun than anything! Girls that is anything always elopes!"

Then they wandered off to the alfalfa field, and soon I saw them
throwing stones at the prairie dogs with which it was infested. So I
concluded that what I had heard was merely some of the Kid's
braggadocio, and, smiling at the sentimental turn he had taken, I went