quite alate hour for that meal, all the ladies stopping at the hotel were onthe lookout for them. Those of them who knew Evelyn rushed into herarms.
"Great Scott, Fred!" said Terry. "Here we are with our arms ready toreceive them, and not one will even put up a pucker at us."
"Well, what show can we expect to get with such a rival as Evelyn?"
Many of the ladies had already had their breakfast, but they went in andsat with Evelyn, and their tongues rattled like those of so manymagpies.
Of course, they all shook hands with Fred and Terry, and talked freelywith them. They wanted to know when Miss Hamilton was going to comedown.
"Oh, she'll come down some time," laughed Evelyn, "probably on herbridal tour."
"Oh, she wouldn't come down as you did, eh?"
"No, we begged hard for her to do so, but she wouldn't. Brother willhave to go up some time and bring her down. Then, too, we will have twobrides down at the ranch, for young Mr. Cameron has a sweetheart up inNew York, and she is waiting for him to build and furnish a big house,for her."
"Well," said one of the ladies, "work on that house is going on fast;but, look here, Miss Olcott, are you going to stay down there on thatranch, or are you going to stop here at the hotel?"
"Oh, she'll do both," put in Fred. "She is very fond of the actual lifeof a ranch. She often came down to our ranch in Colorado with four orfive other girls, and she delighted in nothing so much as dashing overthe prairie on horseback, chasing coyotes and jack-rabbits, or elsefeeding the pigs, chickens, and the milch-cows, all of which we had inabundance around us there. We have some fine milch-cows on the ranchnow, and I expect to see her out every morning with her sleeves rolledup and a big apron on, milking them and looking after the pigs andchickens. She pets every animal on the place."
Whereupon Evelyn invited several of the ladies to come down and visither on the ranch and help her feed the pigs and chickens and milk thecows.
"But I'll have to ask you to wait until I see what sort of quartersbrother and Mr. Fearnot have for me."
"We have nothing but a plain ranch house, but there are plenty of them,for we haven't put in the improvements we intend to. Men, you know, canrough it; but sister will have a neat room fixed up for her. We will getthe best furniture that can be found in this place, carpets andeverything necessary for a lady's comfort."
"No, brother," said Evelyn, "I want to rough it, and you promised that Icould do so."
"Oh, yes; but I know you girls, and you get tired of roughing it veryquickly."
"Well, let me rough it until I do get tired, and when I feel that I havehad enough I'll let you know."
"All right; that's a bargain."
CHAPTER IV.
HOW FRED AND TERRY FIXED UP EVELYN'S HOME ON THE RANCH
The next morning, after their arrival at Crabtree, Fred, Terry andEvelyn were kept busy shaking hands with their friends. As the newsspread through the city fully a score of young ladies called at thehotel to see Evelyn, for she had the happy faculty of making andretaining friends wherever she went.
Fred and Terry, though, at noon, took leave of her and told her to enjoyherself until they came back, as they were going down to the ranch andbegin at once to fix up things so that she could he comfortable.
Jack happened to be at the water tank when the engine of the freighttrain stopped there to take a drink, and he gave a regular Indianwar-whoop when he saw the boys alight. He hugged both of them as theyclimbed down from the engine, and fairly danced a jig in his delight atseeing them.
Terry looked around for the big house that Jack had been building forhis mother and sweetheart. When he saw it, he exclaimed:
"Great Scott, Jack! What is that you are building out there? A hotel?"
"Well, I call it my bachelor quarters, for the present," he replied;"but when mother comes it will be our home."
"Well, what in thunder do you want with such a big house? It's bigenough for all the cowboys on both ranches to live in."
"Well, there is no hotel down here, you know, and there is not likely tobe one for several years to come; so, when any friends come down tovisit us, we'll have a place to take care of them."
"Jack," said Terry, "Evelyn came down with us."
"Great Scott! Ain't I glad! But why didn't you bring your girl withyou?"
"She wouldn't come, Jack; but sister came down with us, as she wanted tohelp us build up a home out here. So, until your mother and Katycomedown, we'll let her be boss."
"Yes, and what a boss she will be. I've been telling these fellowsaround here that she is the most beautiful young lady in the wholecountry. But when is she coming down?"
"Just as soon as we can fix up one of the four-room houses for her, forwe will live there until we can build a larger house."
"What do you want to build a house for when my house is large enough forforty people?"
"Oh we want to get into our own home. We want to build a residence downat the mineral spring."
"Oh, that's a mile off."
"Yes, so it is. The depot here, though, is a general resort for everyrough character who comes along; but we'll have some of our lady friendsdown here both from Crabtree and from the North. We'll fence in thespring to keep the cattle from crowding around it, make beautiful flowergardens, raise all sorts of vegetables and fruits, and try to make ourhome here as lovely as our home up at New Era was."
Jack and Terry led the way up to the house in which Jack had beenliving, each carrying a valise.
Before they reached there, at least half a dozen cowboys rushed up andwanted to carry the valises for them, and made every demonstration ofpleasure at the return of the "Bosses."
When the boys reached the house they found that one of bed-roomsfurnished and still another which had not been furnished up.
"Jack, my boy," said Fred, "I see you have been keeping quitecomfortable since we left."
"Yes, and at the same time quite busy."
"Well, have you had any trouble with the cowboys?"
"No, only in one instance, when one of the men got drunk and I promptlydischarged him. He was one of your men, too. He refused to bedischarged, and wouldn't leave, but went on working with the others. Ithen told him that I wouldn't pay him a cent at the end of the month forhis work, as he was doing it of his own accord, and needn't expect anypay for it. After a week he signed the pledge, came around to see me,and said that he wished to apologize, and that he would never touchanother drop of whisky. I told him that on those conditions he couldkeep his place, but that I would keep his written pledge to show to you,so that if he ever broke it you would know what to do."
"That's right, my boy, that's right. It don't pay to be too harsh.Always give a man a chance. You were fortunate in not having any moretrouble than that."
"Well, I did have several other little difficulties which did notamount to much of anything; but at least a score of big, rough fellowsare waiting for you two to return home in order to get a chance to enteryour employ."
"Well, we'll need a few more men, Jack, for we are going to buy anotherthousand head of cattle and rush them down to the ranch as soon aspossible. How has the store been getting along?"
"It's been doing fine. I've done a good business, and the trade isgrowing fast."
"Any cattle thieves been getting in their work?"
"Well, I haven't heard of any, and I have had the cattle rounded upthree or four times and counted them; but I haven't much faith in theaccuracy of the count. I am beginning to suspect that both ranches havelost a few, for I fear that the cowboys haven't kept as strict a watchas they should have done. One day three big, rough follows came into thestore and wanted to raise a rough house, and I requested one of mycowboys to go in there with me and help me to preserve the peace. Do youremember that fellow whose name was Nick Henderson?"
"Yes, I know him," said Terry. "Did he stand by you all right?"
"You can bet he did. I wouldn't swap him for any of the cowboys I'veseen since I landed here. He doesn't underst
and the science of boxing,but he does know how to use his muscles and no mistake, for he fannedout two of those fellows with bare fists. One of them wanted to use hisgun, but I drew mine, and said that I would shoot first; so Nick justcleaned out both of them, and I believe he is like you and Mr.Fearnot--not afraid of anything. He is now said to be the best man oneither ranch, and he feels proud of the name."
Jack pointed out the house which he assigned to the carpenters, sayingthat they had built bunks, brought down their own blankets and cookingutensils, and that they were all satisfied with their work and their wayof