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〃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
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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'll…
…I'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
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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
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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 s