"Indeed we did," said Sedgwick, "and we were neither of us handsomely attired. I thought he was a gnome; he thought me a Chinese dragon."
Then Miss Grace interposed; "Mr. Sedgwick," said she, "is not Texas a land where there are a great many cattle?"
"Millions of them," was the reply.
"And is not that the region where the cowboy is also found?" she continued.
"There are a few there, surely," said Sedgwick, and looking across the table he saw a smile on Jack's face.
"They are good riders and good shots, are they not?" Grace asked.
"Some of them ride well, and nearly all of them shoot well," said Sedgwick.
"I would like to go there," said Grace, impetuously; "it must be a jolly life." Then looking at her mother, she laughed gaily and said: "If ever one of those cowboys, with broad hat and jingling spurs, comes this way, you had better lock the doors, mamma, if you want to keep me."
Sedgwick kept a steady face, but his heart was throbbing so that he feared the company would hear it.
Then Jenvie asked Sedgwick if mining in Nevada was not mostly carried on by rough and rude men.