never set up to be religious, and I think of such things as little
as may be--except when Bill draws me to the subject from seeing him
so puny, at times."

"Lahoma's not here?" Wilfred asked anxiously.

"Not now, nor for some time," answered Brick.

"I wish," interposed Bill glumly, "that when you're going to talk
about me, Brick, you'd begin with Bill and not be dragging me in at
the tail-end of what concerns other people. I reckon, Wilfred, you
just traveled here to take a look at the country where you used to
herd cattle?"

"That wasn't my reason. Principally, I wanted to see Lahoma; and
incidentally, my brother."

"Your brother? HE ain't in these parts, is he?"

"No," ruefully, "but I expected him to be. When I left home to turn
cow-puncher, I didn't tell anybody where I'd gone; but just before
I left for Oklahoma to turn farmer, I wrote to my brother. And
about a month ago, seeing things clearing up before me, I asked him
to meet me here at Tent City--he's interested in new towns; he's
employed by a rich man to plant hardware-stores, and I thought he
might find an opening here. He came on, and was here several weeks
with a party of sightseers from Chicago; but he left with them about
a week ago."

Willock sat suddenly erect. "Couldn't have been that Sellimer