B. M. Bower

“ Hannahan sighed. “The things people will do for money! Look at me, scouting around a bunch of measly grangers——”
“Then it is the ford?”
“You can just bet it's the ford. We've got twelve hundred fat steers on the trail, with cars ordered at Chinook for day after to-morrow. Sure it's the ford, all right—and it's those sons-uh-toil to the woods if they try to stop us.” ”

“ Bud's habitual frown relaxed under Miss Conrad's wistful smile. “We might have a little dance this evenin'. You ain't in no great rush, air yuh?” His eyes went to Hannahan in tacit recognition of his leadership.
Hannahan hesitated diplomatically over his cigarette book. “We ought to hit the sod, and that's no dream,” he parleyed, dallying with temptation, as a man loves to do upon occasion. ”

“ Hannahan observed.
“If there were only a dance in the valley——” mused she.
“Well,” he demanded, “why can't there be one?”
“To-night? That's very short notice, and there's no music nearer than Lazy Trail—and that's abominable.”
“Well,” said Hannahan, eagerly, “if you can get the rubes rounded up, I'll fix the music. We've got a couple of fellows in the outfit that can thump thunder out of a guitar and mandolin.”
Miss Conrad's eyes got sparkles in them. The droop of Hannahan's lids grew more pronounced. ”

“ The Big A. J. will be down to cases for cars if we don't make Ghinook on time. Cars are mighty scarce this fall, and very hard to get. And—well, you know how I feel about your helping us out.”
Miss Conrad caught a look in his eyes that brought the pink into her cheeks. “I'm only too glad to help. My sympathies are all with the Philistines, I'm afraid.”
Hannahan's eyes said many things his lips were shy of putting into words, and then he remembered the need of haste.
“Well, if I'm going to get the boys hazed into the camp of the Israelites by noon, I'll need to be moving. ”

“ Miss Conrad opened her eyes, and smiled skeptically.
“Beetle's another, and Parrot Tim is our side-kicker. We're just riding through the country looking for a ranch”—Hannahan made a wry face when he said it—“and we call on you at your boarding place. You can easy persuade us to stay a while, and you can ask the neighbors in for a little, sociable dance—see? How do yuh like the way we stack up?” ”

“ Hannahan said, cheerfully. “But you can gamble we're not going to make any forty-mile drive, with no water, taking that bunch uh long-horns around by Wood's ford. Besides, the cars will be there day after to-morrow—and so will the Big A. J. Old Jimmy Knauss most generally wins out, when he makes up his mind to.”
Miss Conrad looked thoughtfully down into the peaceful valley.
“They do have such a bitter enmity against stockmen,' she remarked. “And they love to fight better than anything else—unless it's dancing.” ”

“ Miss Conrad laughed. “Better not cross the line. If it's the ford, it won't do you a particle of good; they're watching it rather closely—and they're still highly indignant over the last time.”
“What last time? The Big A. J. hasn't made a move toward it yet this year.”
“Some other outfit did, though—and the Israelites never discriminate where the cattlemen are concerned. A large herd came down the lane, one Sunday afternoon, and were so inconsiderate as to meet William McKinley Roosevelt Jones on his bike.” ”

“ Some one is always on the watch, ready to warn the whole valley; and their crops are mostly gathered, so there's nothing but fences for a stampede to demolish.”
Hannahan lifted a square, expressive shoulder. “That's a county road down there, and the Big A. J. isn't an outfit that's going to be bluffed out of a game by any bunch of long-eared Mormons.”
Miss Conrad regarded him with serious, sympathetic eyes. “The lane is a county road, certainly; but the ford is in the middle of a quarter section owned by the Widow McCoy.”
Hannahan let his lids droop, and Miss Conrad recognized the sign ”

“ Beetle told Hannahan, out in the corral, when they went to feed their horses—and saddle them, also, in readiness for a quick getaway should circumstances render it necessary.
Hannahan was going to “call” for the dancers.
“Yuh want,” Beetle went on, “lots uh double elbow and chassy by your pardners, and swing on the corners. Make 'em hoe 'er down eight all yuh think they'll stand for. Sound'll travel like the devil to-night.” ”

“ The longest-living author of this work died in 1940, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 83 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works. ”