The incident caused a hearty laugh from all the men, but Josephine cautioned the cowboy not to repeat the performance. Soon after the breakfast bell rang and Mason joined his sister and Josephine on their way to the house.
“You missed the fun, Sir Jack,” Josephine said, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
“No, I didn’t,” he retorted, vaguely wondering at her change of manner. “I was in the corral and saw all that took place, and believe me, it was amusing.”
“I will have to square myself with Percy, he will think we are all roughnecks out here,” she said, a little frown wrinkling her face.
“Nonsense,” he laughed, “I’ll just go right up to Percy and say, ‘What’s the matter, old chappie, don’t let a little thing like that frighten you, old chap. It’s a common occurrence out here, old top, dontcherknow, or don’t you know?’”
“You will do nothing of the kind,” Josephine cried, eyeing him severely; “why, you would scare the poor fellow away.”
“Small loss,” he answered, smiling again as he thought of the incident.
Josephine disdained to answer him. There was an appetizing breakfast awaiting them at the house, and for once Mason was as hungry as a wolf. Josephine made all hands wait, however, until she had her mother go to Percy’s room and drag him from his lair. It was evident that she had succeeded for the party could hear him following her downstairs. Percy was soon made to feel at ease for all acted as though the incident was forgotten. In the course of an hour they all assembled near the corral where the cowboys were beginning to show off their various stunts. Ethel was especially struck with the way one cowboy, running his horse at full speed, swept another man off the ground with apparent ease and swung him in front of him, his horse keeping up his terrific rush with scarcely a break. She clapped her hands in admiration at this feat of horsemanship. Percy seemed awestruck at the reckless daring of the riders and when the men passed in review after the sport was over, his eyes were held as fascinated at the sight of the guns sticking out of the cowboys’ belts. Bud Anderson had ordered his men to go armed since the Ricker faction had showed such open hostility of late.
Mason had noticed MacNutt during the cowboy games, but the man did not take part in any of the riding.
“MacNutt didn’t go to Trader’s Post after all,” he mused thoughtfully, “now where did the fellow go?” Happening to look over in Josephine’s direction, Mason saw that she was carrying the field glasses that he had presented to her. The girl evidently took delight in them for she occasionally swept the trail and far off mountains with them. He was walking slowly over to join her when he heard her give a startled exclamation.