"'It's a plenty worse than that,' says I; 'you won't know the half of it till you get down there.'
"But of course we had to tell him, and he was tickled. Funny what an interest everybody takes in these happenings. He wanted all the details.
"'By Jove!' says he, 'the man whose feelings ain't the least dimmed by a broken leg—horse rolled on him, you said? Splintered it, probably—that man is one of the right sort. He'll do to tie to.'
"When we reached the ranch the boys were lined up to meet us. 'Hurry along!' they called. 'Angey can't keep uncle amused all day!'
"So we hustled. Kyle was for being married first, and then having his leg set, but I put my foot down flat. It had gone long enough now, and I wasn't going to have him cripping it all his life. But the doctor worked like a man who gets paid by the piece, and in less than no time we were able to call Loys in.
"Wind-River Smith spoke to get to give the bride away, and we let him have it.
"We'd just got settled to business when in comes Angevine, puffing like a buffalo. 'For Heaven's sakes! Ain't you finished yet?' says he; 'well, you want to be at it, for the old man ain't over two minutes behind me, coming fast. I took the distance in ten-foot steps. Just my luck! Foot slipped when I was talking to him, and I dropped a remark that made him suspicious—I wouldn't have done it for a ton of money—but it's too late now. I'll down him and hold him out there if you say so.'
"Well, sir, at this old Father Slade stood right up, forgetting that foot entirely.
"'Children, be ready,' says he, and he went over the line for a record.
"'Hurry there!' hollers old Bob from the outside, where he was on watch; 'here comes uncle up the long coulee!'