"I will
die if you send me away. I will slave for you if you will only let me
stay near you. I have no one else on earth. My husband has cast me out;
my father will not have me back; the white man does not want the Indian.
I am alone in the world. You have saved my life. I am your slave."
"That settles it," said Stella, with the hint of tears in her eyes. "You
shall stay with me, dear. Ted, get ready to move the herd whenever you
are ready. Singing Bird goes with me."
"All right," said Ted, glad that the matter was so easily disposed of.
"You can do whatever you want to with this outfit. If you say she goes,
why, she goes."
He went out to where the boys were to give orders for getting the herd
on the move again.
"We'll hit the trail in the morning," he said. "It will take some time
to break camp, and we might as well stay around here the rest of to-day
and get an early start in the morning."
Far out on the prairie they heard a cheery shout, and saw coming toward
them a horseman, driving before him a bunch of six steers.
"Git on to ther new herd crossin' our trail," said Bud derisively.
"Jumpin' sand, hills, but thet feller hez a big bunch o' cattle."
"Wonder where he got them all. He's surely a big drover," said Kit.
But the stranger hustled the six steers into the camp, and pulled up a
scrawny little cayuse, and, taking off his hat with a flourish to Stella
and Hallie, who had joined the boys, said:
"Your pardon, ladies an' gents, but what may be ther brand that is
burned inter ther hides o' yer esteemed cattle?"
Ted looked at him questioningly, and saw a tall, thin, bronzed
individual, dressed in a most unusual costume for a cow-puncher, for
such he evidently was from the manner in which he had driven the cattle,
and the way in which he sat and handled his horse.
Pages:
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310