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surprise； no novelty left； and no cash in the bank。 Shorty owed him fifty
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dollars。 Shorty would be able to pay that after the round…up； and he； Lin；
would get his time and rustle altogether some five hundred dollars。 Then
there was his homestead claim on Box Elder； and the surveyors were
coming in this fall。 No better location for a home in this country than Box
Elder。 Wood； water； fine land。 All it needed was a house and ditches and
buildings and fences； and to be planted with crops。 Such chances and
considerations should sober a man and make him careful what he did。 〃I'd
take in Cheyenne on our wedding…trip； and after that I'd settle right down
to improving Box Elder；〃 concluded Mr。 McLean； suddenly。
His real intentions flashed upon me for the first time。 I had not
remotely imagined such a step。
〃Marry her！〃 I screeched in dismay。 〃Marry her！〃
I don't know which word was the worse to emphasize at such a
moment； but I emphasized both thoroughly。
〃I didn't expect yu'd act that way；〃 said the lover。 He dropped behind
me fifty yards and spoke no more。
Not at once did I beg his pardon for the brutality I had been surprised
into。 It is one of those speeches that； once said； is said forever。
But it was not that which withheld me。 As I thought of the tone in
which my friend had replied； it seemed to me sullen； rather than deeply
angry or woundedresentment at my opinion not of her character so much
as of his choice！ Then I began to be sorry for the fool； and schemed for a
while how to intervene。 But have you ever tried intervention？ I soon
abandoned the idea； and took a way to be forgiven； and to learn more。
〃Lin；〃 I began； slowing my horse； 〃you must not think about what I
said。〃
〃I'm thinkin' of pleasanter subjects；〃 said he； and slowed his own
horse。
〃Oh； look here！〃 I exclaimed。
〃Well？〃 said he。 He allowed his horse to come within about ten yards。
〃Astonishment makes a man say anything；〃 I proceeded。 〃And I'll say
again you're too good for herand I'll say I don't generally believe in the
wife being older than the husband。〃
〃What's two years？〃 said Lin。
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I was near screeching out again； but saved myself。 He was not quite
twenty…five； and I remembered Mrs。 Taylor's unprejudiced computation of
the biscuit…shooter's years。 It is a lady's prerogative； however； to estimate
her own age。
〃She had her twenty…seventh birthday last month；〃 said Lin； with
sentiment； bringing his horse entirely abreast of mine。 〃I promised her a
bear…skin。〃
〃Yes；〃 said I； 〃I heard about that in Buffalo。〃
Lin's face grew dusky with anger。 〃No doubt yu' heard about it；〃 said
he。 〃I don't guess yu' heard much about anything else。 I ain't told the truth
to any of 'embut her。〃 He looked at me with a certain hesitation。 〃I think
I will；〃 he continued。 〃I don't mind tellin' you。〃
He began to speak in a strictly business tone； while he evened the coils
of rope that hung on his saddle。
〃She had spoke to me about her birthday； and I had spoke to her about
something to give her。 I had offered to buy her in town whatever she
named； and I was figuring to borrow from Taylor。 But she fancied the
notion of a bear…skin。 I had mentioned about some cubs。 I had found the
cubs where the she…bear had them cached by the foot of a big boulder in
the range over Ten Sleep； and I put back the leaves and stuff on top o'
them little things as near as I could the way I found them； so that the bear
would not suspicion me。 For I was aiming to get her。 And Miss Peck； she
sure wanted the hide for her birthday。 So I went back。 The she…bear was
off； and I crumb up inside the rock； and I waited a turruble long spell till
the sun travelled clean around the canyon。 Mrs。 Bear come home though； a
big cinnamon； and I raised my gun； but laid it down to see what she'd do。
She scrapes around and snuffs； and the cubs start whining； and she talks
back to 'em。 Next she sits up awful big； and lifts up a cub and holds it to
her close with both her paws； same as a person。 And she rubbed her ear
agin the cub； and the cub sort o' nipped her； and she cuffed the cub； and
the other cub came toddlin'； and away they starts rolling all three of 'em！ I
watched that for a long while。 That big thing just nursed and played with
them little cubs； beatin' em for a change onced in a while； and talkin'； and
onced in a while she'd sit up solemn and look all around so life…like that I
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near busted。 Why； how was I goin' to spoil that？ So I come away； very
quiet； you bet！ for I'd have hated to have Mrs。 Bear notice me。 Miss Peck；
she laughed。 She claimed I was scared to shoot。〃
〃After you had told her why it was？〃 said I。
〃Before and after。 I didn't tell her first； because I felt kind of foolish。
Then Tommy went and he killed the bear all right； and she has the skin
now。 Of course the boys joshed me a heap about gettin' beat by Tommy。〃
〃But since she has taken you？〃 said I。
〃She ain't said it。 But she will when she understands Tommy。〃
I fancied that the lady understood。 The once I had seen her she
appeared to me as what might be termed an expert in men； and one to
understand also the reality of Tommy's ranch and allowance； and how
greatly these differed from Box Elder。 Probably the one thing she could
not understand was why Lin spared the mother and her cubs。 A deserted
home in Dubuque； a career in a railroad eating…house； a somewhat vague
past； and a present lacking contextindeed； I hoped with all my heart that
Tommy would win！
〃Lin；〃 said I； 〃I'm backing him。〃
〃Back away！〃 said he。 〃Tommy can please a womanhim and his blue
eyes but he don't savvy how to make a woman want him； not any better
than he knows about killin' Injuns。〃
〃Did you hear about the Crows？〃 said I。
〃About young bucks going on the war…path？ Shucks！ That's put up by
the papers of this section。 They're aimin' to get Uncle Sam to order his
troops out； and then folks can sell hay and stuff to 'em。 If Tommy believed
any Crows〃 he stopped； and suddenly slapped his leg。
〃What's the matter now？〃 I asked。
〃Oh； nothing。〃 He took to singing； and his face grew roguish to its full
extent。 〃What made yu' say that to me？〃 he asked； presently。
〃Say what？〃
〃About marrying。 Yu' don't think I'd better。〃
〃I don't。〃
〃Onced in a while yu' tell me I'm flighty。 Well； I am。 Whoop…ya！〃
〃Colts ought not to marry；〃 said I。
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〃Sure！〃 said he。 And it was not until we came in sight of the
Virginian's black horse tied in front of Miss Wood's cabin next the Taylors'
that Lin changed the lively course of thought that was evidently filling his
mind。
〃Tell yu'；〃 said he； touching my arm confidentially and pointing to the
black horse； 〃for all her Vermont refinement she's a woman just the same。
She likes him dangling round her so earne