"Sidesaddle for the lady?"
"No," said Ted, with a grin, "this young lady will not use one. She is a cowgirl, and rides a man's saddle."
"All right, my boy. The outfit will be here in the morning. By the way, I am going to have some other guests. I suppose you will not object."
"Certainly not."
"One of them is a young New Yorker, who has come West to invest in ranch property, and who has brought his sister with him. Charming people. The other is a rather uncouth person, but you will forgive his eccentricities, I am sure. To tell you the truth, he often grates on me, but I overlook it because he has lacked advantages. He made his money in the liquor business, in which he has been all his life. But he is a good fellow at heart, and is my partner in a way, having invested a large sum of money with me in cattle."
"I shall be very glad to meet them, although, I'm afraid I shall not be able to see much of them, as I shall be very busy."
"When you are under my roof, sir, you are as free as if you had been born there. I am glad you and your friends are coming. It does my old heart good to have young people around me. I will see you in the morning, and shall feel honored to escort you to my home."
With this they parted.
"Jolly old chap," said Ted to himself. "I know just how he feels about having a lot of people come to visit him. I like it myself."
Stella had been out for a ride with little Dick. She had secured a couple of ponies from the stable connected with the hotel, and had given Dick his first riding lesson.