B. M. Bower

“ His strength permitted the saddle to catch Uncle Howard just back of the knees—that part of one’s anatomy which crumples very easily. Uncle Howard crumpled with a suddenness that doubtless astonished the dignified soul of him. Reid watched the disaster impenitently from the tail of his eye, the while he told Artless many things that should happen to the man who saddled the horse of another without permission. ”

“ CHAPTER IX. Just a week from the day he wrote that letter, Reid, moody and uncertain of temper, came from the cook-tent to the corral one morning to find Artless the blunderer cinching up his saddle on a horse that belonged in Reid’s string; which is, among men of the range, the sin unforgivable. ”

“ On the second day he saddled Mister and rode in to town after the mail, telling Skookum he would be back before noon. He was anxious for an answer to the letter he had written, and he did get a letter that day. It was not, however, the one he was looking for; it was from Burns. Reid leaned against the dusty desk in the post-office while he read it.
Burns was in Idaho, on upper Snake River, and it was plain that he wrote hoping that Reid, in answering, would tell him about Lorrie. Part of the letter is worth repeating. ”