“Yes,” added Alice, “you must not allow yourself to be so crazy about Kirk, Doris. He—”
“I—crazy about Kirk Smith!” repeated Doris, in a puzzled tone. Then, catching sight of the gleam in Alice’s eye, she joined in the general laughter at the absurdity of the idea.
“He is hopeless,” said Lily. “Funny what Irene sees in him!”
“Yes, none of us feel much love for him,” put in Florence.
“Girls, I don’t think he’s so awful,” said Daisy. “At least, if you leave him alone. He’s always been very courteous to me.”
“Oh, you like everybody!” remarked Doris, putting her arm through Daisy’s. “Come, girls, that’s enough prinking. Let’s go down before they fire off any more pistols.”
But hardly were they seated at their tables with the rest of the party, when they received a greater surprise than before. Right through the hall doorway, and down the center aisle of the dining-room, a cowboy came riding on his horse, past their very table! And no sooner had he gone than another, and then a third, followed. Doris said that she never had time to draw her breath between.
“Oh!” she gasped, when there was quiet again, “are we to expect this at all our meals—just like we have orchestras in the East?”
“No, they probably won’t do it again,” replied Bob. “It would be tame the second time. But I must admit that you are getting a good initiation into our life.”
Although the boys wanted to go out and see the town that night, the girls all felt it would be nicer to stay at the hotel. But they were warned that it would be no use to go to bed early; they might expect pistol shots any time until midnight. And when they did finally turn in, a little before twelve, they soon heard a cowboy ride about the lower floor, firing off blanks at each door.