“Didn’t know you had nerves,” laughed Alfy. “What’s happened, Helena?”
“Wun Sing has disappeared.”
“W-h-a-t?”
“It is true. He has gone, nobody knows where. There’s a man from the Barracks, the one who does the cooking over there, getting breakfast. Captain Lem is flying around in a terrible state of mind. He’s angry with you boys, says there’ll be neither drill nor rifle practice to-day, but the horses must be groomed just as soon as we get our breakfasts. He’s sent a half-dozen men looking for the cook, now, and they expect to find him soon.”
“So they did Jim! Seems if there wasn’t anything doing on this ranch but just getting lost,” wailed Alfaretta, turning a little pale; while Molly nervously begged:
“Somebody tie me fast! Tie me fast! It’ll break my father’s heart if I get lost, too!”
Captain Lem came up at that moment. He looked so stern and unlike himself that the young folks were all of them awed by his manner. Even light hearted Monty slunk back, “shaking in his shoes,” while Leslie dropped his eyes and lost all his bravado.
“Hark to me, Squad! Every mortal son an’ gal of ye! I’m riled—I’m mad. Here am I left in charge, so to speak, of your doin’s, and of the work on the ranch, anyways. Your smart-aleck work has turned everything topsy-turvy. Men took from their reg’lar jobs to go hunt worthless Chinamen, and take his place a-cookin’. Hens dyin’ to right an’ left—pizened by some your doses, likely—”
“Oh, no! Captain, I’m sure nobody would do such a cruel thing as poison helpless creatures!” protested Dorothy, running to clasp his hand.
He had on his “specs,” which they had already learned he used mostly when he was angry, and they were very glittering just then. But Dorothy would not be put aside. She clung to him till his mood softened and removing the menacing “specs,” dropped them in his blouse pocket. Then he smiled upon her, rather shamefacedly, though he felt that he still had good cause for offence.