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clearness。
The throat and lips of Mr。 McLean moved； and a sulky sound came forth
that I recognized to be meant for the word 〃War。〃 Then he rolled over so
that his face was away from me； and put an arm over his eyes。
〃I don't mean country in the sense of United States；〃 said I。 〃I mean
this country here； and Bear Creek； andwell； the ranches southward for
fifty miles； say。 Important to this section。〃
〃Mosquitoes'll be due in about three weeks；〃 said Lin。 〃Yu' might leave a
man rest till then。〃
〃I want your opinion；〃 said I。
〃Oh； misery！ Well； a raise in the price of steers。〃
〃No。〃
〃Yu' said yu' wanted my opinion；〃 said Lin。 〃Seems like yu' merely figure
on givin' me yours。〃
〃Very well；〃 said I。 〃Very well； then。〃
I took up a copy of the Cheyenne Sun。 It was five weeks old； and I soon
perceived that I had read it three weeks ago； but I read it again for
some minutes now。
〃I expect a railroad would be more important；〃 said Mr。 McLean；
persuasively； from the floor。
〃Than a rise in steers？〃 said I； occupied with the Cheyenne Sun。 〃Oh yes。
Yes； a railroad certainly would。〃
〃It's got to be money； anyhow；〃 stated Lin； thoroughly wakened。 〃Money in
some shape。〃
〃How little you understand the real wants of the country！〃 said I； coming
to the point。 〃It's a girl。〃
Mr。 McLean lay quite still on the floor。
〃A girl；〃 I repeated。 〃A new girl coming to this starved country。〃
The cow…puncher took a long； gradual stretch and began to smile。 〃Well；〃
said he； 〃yu' caught meif that's much to do when a man is half…witted
with dinner and sleep。〃 He closed his eyes again and lay with a specious
expression of indifference。 But that sort of thing is a solitary
entertainment； and palls。 〃Starved；〃 he presently muttered。 〃We are kind
o' starved that way I'll admit。 More dollars than girls to the square
mile。 And to think of all of us nice； healthy； youngbet yu' I know who
she is！〃 he triumphantly cried。 He had sat up and levelled a finger at me
with the throw…down jerk of a marksman。 〃Sidney； Nebraska。〃
I nodded。 This was not the lady's namehe could not recall her namebut
his geography of her was accurate。
One day in February my friend； Mrs。 Taylor over on Bear Creek； had
received a letterno common event for her。 Therefore； during several
days she had all callers read it just as naturally as she had them all
see the new baby； and baby and letter had both been brought out for me。
The letter was signed；
〃Ever your afectionite frend。
〃Katie Peck；
and was not easy to read； here and there。 But you could piece out the
drift of it； and there was Mrs。 Taylor by your side； eager to help you
when you stumbled。 Miss Peck wrote that she was overworked in Sidney；
Nebraska； and needed a holiday。 When the weather grew warm she should
like to come to Bear Creek and be like old times。 〃Like to come and be
like old times〃 filled Mrs。 Taylor with sentiment and the cow…punchers
with expectation。 But it is a long way from February to warm weather on
Bear Creek； and even cow…punchers will forget about a new girl if she
does not come。 For several weeks I had not heard Miss Peck mentioned； and
old girls had to do。 Yesterday； however； when I paid a visit to Miss
Molly Wood （the Bear Creek schoolmistress）； I found her keeping in order
the cabin and the children of the Taylors； while they were gone
forty…five miles to the stage station to meet their guest。
〃Well；〃 said Lin； judicially； 〃Miss Wood is a lady。〃
〃Yes；〃 said I； with deep gravity。 For I was thinking of an occasion when
Mr。 McLean had discovered that truth somewhat abruptly。
Lin thoughtfully continued。 〃She isshe'sshe'swhat are you laughin'
at？〃
〃Oh； nothing。 You don't see quite so much of Miss Wood as you used to； do
you？〃
〃Huh！ So that's got around。 Well； o' course I'd ought t've knowed better；
I suppose。 All the same； there's lots and lots of girls do like gettin'
kissed against their wishesand you know it。〃
〃But the point would rather seem to be that she〃
〃Would rather seem！ Don't yu' start that professor style o' yours； or
I'llI'll talk more wickedness in worse language than ever yu've heard
me do yet。〃
〃Impossible！〃 I murmured； sweetly； and Master Lin went on。
〃As to pointthat don't need to be explained to me。 She's a lady all
right。〃 He ruminated for a moment。 〃She has about scared all the boys
off； though；〃 he continued。 〃And that's what you get by being refined；〃
he concluded； as if Providence had at length spoken in this matter。
〃She has not scared off a boy from Virginia； I notice；〃 said I。 〃He was
there yesterday afternoon again。 Ridden all the way over from Sunk Creek。
Didn't seem particularly frightened。〃
〃Oh； well； nothin' alarms himnot even refinement；〃 said Mr。 McLean；
with his grin。 〃And she'll fool your Virginian like she done the balance
of us。 You wait。 Shucks！ If all the girls were that chilly； why； what
would us poor punchers do？〃
〃You have me cornered；〃 said I； and we sat in a philosophical silence；
Lin on the floor still； and I at the window。 There I looked out upon a
scene my eyes never tired of then； nor can my memory now。 Spring had
passed over it with its first； lightest steps。 The pastured levels
undulated in emerald。 Through the many…changing sage； that just this
moment of to…day was lilac； shone greens scarce a week old in the dimples
of the foot…hills； and greens new…born beneath today's sun melted among
them。 Around the doubling of the creek in the willow thickets glimmered
skeined veils of yellow and delicate crimson。 The stream poured
turbulently away from the snows of the mountains behind us。 It went
winding in many folds across the meadows into distance and smallness； and
so vanished round the great red battlement of wall beyond。 Upon this were
falling the deep hues of afternoonviolet； rose； and saffron； swimming
and meeting as if some prism had dissolved and flowed over the turrets
and crevices of the sandstone。 Far over there I saw a dot move。
〃At last！〃 said I。
Lin looked out of the window。 〃It's more than Tommy；〃 said he； at once；
and his eyes made it out before mine could。 〃It's a wagon。 That's Tommy's
bald…faced horse alongside。 He's fooling to the finish；〃 Lin severely
commented； as if； after all this delay； there should at least be a
homestretch。
Presently； however； a homestretch seemed likely to occur。 The bald…faced
horse executed some lively manoeuvres； and Tommy's voice reached us
faintly through the light spring air。 He was evidently howling the
remarkable strain of yells that the cow…punchers invented as the speech
best understood by cowsOi…ee； yah； whoop…yahye…ee； oooo…oop； oop；
oop…oop…oop…oop…yah…hee！〃 But that gives you no idea of it。 Alphabets are
worse than photographs。 It is not the lungs of every man that can produce
these effects； nor even from armies； eagles； or mules were such sounds
ever heard on earth。 The cow…puncher invented them。 And when the last
cow…puncher is laid to rest （if that； alas！ have not already befallen）
the yells will be forever gone。 Singularly enough； the cattle appeared to
appreciate them。 Tommy always did them very badly； and that was plain
even at this distance。 Nor did he give us a homestretch； after all。 The
bald…faced horse made a number of evolutions and returned beside the
wagon。
〃Showin' off；〃 remarked Lin。 〃Tommy's showin' off。〃 Suspicion crossed his
face； and then certainty。 〃Why； we might have knowed that！〃 he exclaimed；
in dudgeon。 〃It's her。〃 He hastened outside for a better look； and I came
to the door myself。 〃That's what it is；〃 said he。 〃It's the girl。 Oh yes。
That's Taylor's buckskin pair he traded Balaam for。 She come by the stage
all right yesterday； yu' see； but she has been too tired to travel； yu'
see； or else； maybe； Taylor wanted to rest his buckskinsthey're
four…year…olds。 Or elseanyway； they laid over last night at Powder
River； and Tommy he has just laid over too； yu' see； holdin' the mail
back on us twenty…four hoursand that's your postmaster！〃
It was our postmaster； and this he had done； quite as the virtuously
indignant McLean surmised。 Had I taken the same interest in the new girl；
I suppose that I too should have felt virtuously indignant。
Lin and I stood outside to receive the travellers。 As their cavalcade
drew near； Mr。 McLean grew silent and watchful； his whole attention
focused upon the Taylors' vehicle。 Its approach was joyous。 Its gear made
a cheerful clanking； Taylor cracked his whip and encouragingly chirruped
to his buckskins； and Tommy's apparatus jingled musically。 For Tommy wore
upon himself and his saddle all the things you can wear in the Wild West。
Except that his hair was not long； our postmaster might have conducted a
show and minted gold by exhibiting his romantic person before the eye