“I'm afraid the foundations aren't laid yet,” said I.
“Now you gentlemen needn't bother about me.”
“We'll have to, m'm. You ain't used to Separ.”
“Oh, I am no—tenderfoot, don't you call them?” She whipped out her pistol, and held it at the cow-puncher, laughing.
This would have given no pleasure to me; but over Lin's features went a glow of delight, and he stood gazing at the pointed weapon and the girl behind it. “My!” he said, at length, almost in a whisper, “she's got the drop on me!”
“I reckon I'd be afraid to shoot that one of yours,” said Miss Buckner. “But this hits a target real good and straight at fifteen yards.” And she handed it to him for inspection.
He received it, hugely grinning, and turned it over and over. “My!” he murmured again. “Why, shucks!” He looked at Miss Buckner with stark rapture, caressing the polished revolver at the same time with a fond, unconscious thumb. “You hold it just as steady as I could,” he said with pride, and added, insinuatingly, “I could learn yu' the professional drop in a morning. This here is a little dandy gun.”
“You'd not trade, though,” said she, “for all your flattery.”
“Will yu' trade?” pounced Lin. “Won't yu'?”
“Now, Mr. McLean, I am afraid you're thoughtless. How could a girl like me ever hold that awful.45 Colt steady?”