Thecinchesofthehorsesweretightened，LinandtheVirginianlaidahandontheirsaddle-horns，swungup，andsoonallsoundofthegallopinghorseshadceased。MollyWooddeclinedtobenervousandcrossedtoherlittleneighborcabin；weallparted，andasalwaysinthatblessedcountrydeepsleepquicklycametome。
Idon’tknowhowlongafteritwasthatIsprangfrommyblanketsinhalf-doubtingfright。ButIhaddreamednothing。Asecondlong，wildyellnowgavemeImustowntoitahorriblechill。Ihadnopistol——
nothing。Inthehatefulbrightnessofthemoonmysinglethoughtwas“House!House!“andIfledacrossthelaneinmyunderclothestothecabin，whenroundthecornerwhirledthetwocow-punchers，andI
understood。IsawtheVirginiancatchsightofmeinmyshirt，andsawhisteethashesmiled。Ihastenedtomyblankets，andreturnedmoredecenttostandandwatchthetwogoshootingandyellingroundthecabin，crazywiththeiryouth。Thedoorwasopened，andTaylorcourageouslyemerged，bearingaWinchester。Hefiredattheskyimmediately。
“B’gosh!“heroared。“That’sone。“Hefiredagain。“Outandat’em。
They’rerunning。“
Atthis，dulycameMrs。Taylorinwhitewithapistol，andMissPeckinwhite，staringandstolid。ButnoTommy。Noiseprevailedwithout，shotsbythestableandshotsbythecreek。Thetwocow-punchersdismountedandjoinedTaylor。Maniacdelightseizedme，andI，too，rushedaboutwiththem，helpingthedin。
“Oh，Mr。Taylor!“saidavoice。“Ididn’tthinkitofyou。“ItwasMollyWood，comefromhercabin，veryprettyinahood-and-cloakarrangement。
Shestoodbythefence，laughing，butmoreatusthanwithus。
“Stop，friends!“saidTaylor，gasping。“SheteachesmyBobbiehisABC。
I’dhatetohaveBobbie——“
“Speaktoyourpapa，“saidMolly，andheldherscholaruponthefence。
“Well，I’llbegol-darned，“saidTaylor，surveyinghiscostume，“ifLinMcLeanhasn’tmadeafoolofmeto-night!“
“WherehasTommygot？“saidMrs。Taylor。
“Didn’tyusseehim？“saidthebiscuit-shooterspeakingherfirstwordinallthis。
Wefollowedherintothekitchen。Thetablewascoveredwithtinplates。
Beneathit，wedgedkneltTommywithapistolfirminhishand；buttheplateswererattlingupanddownlikecastanets。
Therewasasilenceamongus，andIwonderedwhatweweregoingtodo。
“Well，“murmuredtheVirginiantohimself，“ifIcouldhaveforesaw，I’dnot——itmakesyu’feelhumiliatedyu’self。“
Hemarchedout，gotonhishorse，androdeaway。Linfollowedhim，butperhapslesspenitently。Wealldispersedwithoutsayinganything，andpresentlyfrommyblanketsIsawpoorTommycomeoutofthesilentcabin，mount，andslowly，veryslowly，rideaway。HewouldspendthenightatRiverside，afterall。
Ofcoursewerecoveredfromourunexpectedshame，andthetaleofthetableandthedancingplateswasnottoldasasadone。Butitisasadonewhenyouthinkofit。
IwasnottheretoseeLingethisbride。IlearnedfromtheVirginianhowthevictoriouspuncherhadriddenawayacrossthesunnysagebrush，bearingthebiscuit-shooterwithhimtothenearestjusticeofthepeace。
Shewasastridethehorsehehadbroughtforher。
“Yes，hebeatTommy，“saidtheVirginian。“Somefolks，anyway，getwhattheywantinthishyehworld。“
FromwhichIinferredthatMissMollyWoodwashardertobeatthanTommy。
LINMcLEAN’SHONEY-MOON
Rainhadnotfallenforsomesixtydays，andforsomesixtymoretherewasnonecessitythatitshouldfall。ItisspellsofweatherlikethisthatsettheWesterneditorwritingpraiseandprophecyoftheboundlessfertilityofthesoil——whenirrigated，andofwhatanEdenitcanbemade——withirrigation；butthespellsannoythepeoplewhoaretryingtoraisetheEden。WealwaystoldthetransientEasternvisitor，whenhearrivedatCheyenneandcriticisedthedesert，thatanythingwouldgrowhere——withirrigation；andsometimeshereplied，unsympathetically，thatanythingcouldfly——withwings。Thenwewouldleadsuchamanoutandshowhimsix，eight，tensquaremilesofgreencrops；andhe，ifhewasthoroughlynasty，wouldmentionthatWyomingcontainedninety-fivethousandsquaremiles，allwaitingforirrigationandEden。OneoftheseEasternsupercivilizedhostilesfromNewYorkwasbreakfastingwiththeGovernorandmeattheCheyenneClub，andwewereexplainingtohimthegloriousfuture，thecomingempire，oftheWesterncountry。NowtheGovernorwasaboutthirty-two，anduntiltwenty-fivehadnevergoneWestfarenoughtoseeoverthetopoftheAlleghanyMountains。Iwasnotapioneermyself；andwhybothofusshouldhavepitiedtheNew-Yorker’snarrownesssohardIcannotsee。Butwedid。Wespoketohimofthesizeofthecountry。WetoldhimthathisStatecouldrattleroundinsideWyoming’sstomachwithoutanyinconveniencetoWyoming，andhetoldusthatthiswasbecauseWyoming’sstomachwasempty。AltogetherIbegantofeelalmostsorrythatIhadaskedhimtocomeoutforahunt，andhadtravelledinhasteallthewayfromBearCreektoCheyenneexpresslytomeethim。
“Forpurposesofamusement，“hesaid，“I’lladmitanythingyouclaimforthisplace。Ranches，cowboys，elk；it’sallsplendid。Only，asaninvestmentIprefertheEast。AmItoseeanycowboys？“
“Youshall，“Isaid；andIdistinctlyhopedsomeofthemmightdosomethingtohim“forpurposesofamusement。“
“Youfellowscomeupwithmetomyoffice，“saidtheGovernor。“I’lllookatmymail，andshowyouround。“Sowewentwithhimthroughtheheatandsun。
“What’sthat？“inquiredtheNew-Yorker，whomIshallcallJamesOgden。
“Thatisourpark，“saidI。“Ofcourseit’smerelyinembryo。It’swonderfulhowquicklyanyshadetreewillgrowherewi——“Icheckedmyself。
ButOgdensaid“withirrigation“forme，andIwasentirelysorryhehadcome。
WereachedtheGovernor’soffice，andsatdownwhilehelookedhislettersover。
“Hereyouare，Ogden，“saidhe。“Here’sthewaywehumpaheadouthere。“
Andhereadusthefollowing：
“MAGAW，KANSAS，July5，188——
“Hon。AmoryW。Baker：
“Sir，——Understandingthatyourdistrictissufferingfromaprolongeddrought，IwritetosaythatfornecessaryexpensespaidIwillbegladtofurnishyouwithareasonablyshower。IhaveoperatedsuccessfullyinAustralia，Mexico，andseveralStatesoftheUnion，andamanxioustoexhibitmysystem。IfyourLegislaturewillappropriateasumtocover，asIsaid，merelymynecessaryexpenses——say$350threehundredandfiftydollars——forhalfaninchIwillguaranteeyouthatquantityofrainorforfeitthemoney。IfIfailtogiveyouthesmallestfractionoftheamountcontractedfor，thereistobenopay。Kindlyadvisemeofwhatdatewillbemostconvenientforyoutohavetheshower。Irequiretwenty-fourhours’preparation。Hopingafavorablereply，“Iam，respectfullyyours，“RobertHilbrun“
“WilltheLegislaturedoit？“inquiredOgdeningoodfaith。
TheGovernorlaughedboisterously。“Iguessitwouldn’tbeconstitutional，“saidhe。
“Oh，bother!“saidOgden。
“Mydearman，“theGovernorprotested，“Iknowwe’renew，andourwomenvote，andwe’reagooddealofajoke，butwe’renotsoprogressivelyfunnyasallthat。Thepeoplewouldn’tstandit。SenatorWarrenwouldflyrightintomybackhair。“BarkerwasalsonewasGovernor。
“DoyouhaveSenatorsheretoo？“saidOgden，raisinghiseyebrows。“Whatdotheylooklike？Aretheyfemales？“AndtheGovernorgrewmoreboisterousthanever，slappinghiskneeanddeclaringthattheseEasternmenwerecertainlyoutofsight。“Ogden，however，wasthoughtful。
“I’dhavebeenwillingtochipinforthatrainmyself，“hesaid。
“That’sanidea!“criedtheGovernor。“Nothingunconstitutionalaboutthat。Let’ssee。Threehundredandfiftydollars——“
“I’llputupahundred，“saidOgden，promptly。“I’moutforaWesternvacation，andI’llpayforagoodspecimen。“
TheGovernorandIsubscribedmoremodestly，andbynoon，withthehelpofsomelivelymindedgentlemenofCheyenne，wehadthepurseraised。“Hewon’tcare，“saidtheGovernor，“whetherit’saprivateenterpriseoramunicipalstep，solongashegetshismoney。“
“Hewon’tgetit，I’mafraid，“saidOgden。“ButifhesucceedsintemptingProvidencetothatextent，Iconsideritcheap。Nowwhatdoyoucallthosepeoplethereonthehorses？“
WewerewalkingalongthetrackoftheCheyenneandNorthern，andlookingoutovertheplaintowardFortRussell。“Thatisacow-puncherandhisbride，“Ianswered，recognizingthecouple。
“Realcow-puncher？“
“Quite。Thepuncher’snameisLinMcLean。“
“Realbride？“
“I’mafraidso。“
“She’sridingstraddle!“exclaimedthedelightedOgden，adjustinghisglasses。“Whydoyouobjecttotheirunionbeingholy？“
IexplainedthatmyfriendLinhadlatelymarriedaneating-houseladyprecipitatelyandagainstmyadvice。
“Isupposeheknewhisbusiness，“observedOgden。
“That’swhathesaidtomeatthetime。Butyououghttoseeher——andknowhim。“
Ogdenwasgoingto。Husbandandwifewerecomingourway。Husbandnoddedtomehisfamiliaroffishnod，whichconcealedhissatisfactionatmeetingwithanoldfriend。Wifedidnotlookatmeatall。ButIlookedather，andIinstantlyknewthatLin——thefool!——hadconfidedtohermydisapprovaloftheirmarriage。Themostdelicatespecialtyuponearthisyourstandingwithyouroldfriend’snewwife。
“Good-day，Mr。McLean，“saidtheGovernortothecow-puncheronhishorse。
“How’reareyu’，doctor，“saidLin。DuringhisearlydaysinWyomingtheGovernor，whenasyetaprivatecitizen，hadsetMr。McLean’sbrokenlegatDrybone。“Letmemakeyu’knowntoMrs。McLean，“pursuedthehusband。
Thelady，atalosshowconventionprescribesthegreetingofabridetoaGovernor，gaveawaddleonthepony’sback，thensatupstiff，gazedhaughtilyattheair，anddidnotspeakorshowanymoresignthanacowwouldunderlikecircumstances。SotheGovernormarchedcheerfullyather，extendinghishand，andwhensheslightlymovedouttowardhimherbig，dumb，redfist，hetookitandshookit，andmadeheraseriesofcompliments，shemaintainingalwaysthescrupulousreserveofthecow。
“Isay，“OgdenwhisperedtomewhileBarkerwaspumpingthehandofthefleshimage，“I’mgladIcame。“Theappearanceofthepuncher-bridegroomalsointerestedOgden，andhelookedhardatLin’sleatherchapsandcartridge-beltandsoforth。LinstaredattheNew-Yorker，andhishighwhitecollarandgoodscarf。Hehadseensuchthingsquiteoften，ofcourse，buttheyalwaysfilledhimwiththesamedistrustofthemanthatworethem。
“Well，“saidhe，“Iguesswe’llbepullingforahotel。Anyshowintown？
Circuscomeyet？“
“No，“saidI。“Areyougoingtomakealongstay？“
Thecow-puncherglancedattheimage，hisbrideofthreeweeks。“Tillwe’retiredofit，Iguess，“saidhe，withhesitation。ItwasthefirsttimethatIhadeverseenmygayfriendlooktimidlyatanyone，andI
feltarisinghatefortheruby-checked，large-eyedeating-houselady，thebiscuit-shooterwhoseinfluencewasdimmingthisjaunty，irrepressiblespirit。Ilookedather。Herbulkybloomhadensnaredhim，andnowshewasgoingtotameandspoilhim。TheGovernorwaslookingathertoo，thoughtfully。
“Say，Lin，“Isaid，“ifyoustayherelongenoughyou’llseeabigshow。“
AndhiseyelivenedintosomethingofitsnativejocularityasItoldhimoftherain-maker。
“Shucks!“saidhe，springingfromhishorseimpetuously，andhugelyentertainedatourventure。“Threehundredandfiftydollars？Letmecomein“；andbeforeIcouldtellhimthatwehadallthemoneyraised，hewashaulingoutawaddedlumpofbills。
“Well，Iain’tgoingtostarvehereintheroad，Iguess，“spoketheimage，withthesuddennessofamiracle。Ithinkwealljumped，andI
knowthatLindid。Theimagecontinued：“Somefolksandtheirmoneyaresoonparted“——shemeantme；hersearchingtonescamestraightatme；I
wassurefromthefirstthatsheknewallaboutmeandmyunfavorableopinionofher——“butitain’tgoingtobeyouthistime，LinMcLean。Gedap!“Thislastwastothehorse，Imaintain，thoughtheGovernorsaysthehusbandimmediatelystartedoffonarun。
Atanyrate，theyweregonetotheirhotel，andOgdenwasseatedonsomerailroadties，exclaiming：“Oh，IlikeWyoming!IamcertainlygladI
came。“