“Yes, father, I am. I refused to marry him long ago in Chicago.” He kissed her for the first time in a long while, and then gently disengaged himself and took a step toward Bud. 306
“Larkin,” he said, “yuh were always lucky, but yuh’ve beat all records for Wyoming now. I allow yuh can take her away with yuh on one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“That yuh never beat her like yuh beat me.”
“Agreed!” laughed Bud, and grasped the other’s hand. “But can you stand a sheepman in the family?”
“I sure can, Larkin. Ever since I seen Jimmie Welsh and his men fight, I ain’t got anythin’ against sheepmen.”
“Jimmie Welsh!” cried Bud. “Tell me, did any of his party come through alive?”
“Jes’ Jimmie himself; the boys couldn’t kill him, so he’s over at Billy Speaker’s mendin’ up. Heart’s pretty near broke because he hasn’t seen yuh to explain why he’s still alive.”
“Good old Jimmie!” said Bud, the tears leaping to his eyes. “Dearest,” he added, turning to Julie, “there’s one more stop on our honeymoon, and that’s at Billy Speaker’s to-morrow.”
Bissell continued the conversation, and asked for the full story of how Bud had run down and captured the rustlers, saying that the whole cow country owed him a debt, and if they had only 307 known of the capture in time would have let his sheep through without protest.