“A man lives there who is an enemy of my father’s,” the girl answered. “He is a cattle baron, and his name is Phelps.”
“I peen some parons meinseluf,” said the Dutchman, “aber I don’d got some cattle. Iss he a pad feller, dis cattle paron?”
“Yes; fully as unscrupulous as that other cattle baron whose name is Benner.”
“Vat a lod oof cattle parons, und all pad eggs. Vell, vell, nefer mindt. Vere vas you ven der Dinkelmanns gaptured you, Miss Berry?”
“It wasn’t the Dinkelmanns who captured me, but some of Benner’s cowboys.”
“Ach, aber I vish I hat peen aroundt dot time! Vere dit it habben?”
“At the ranch. Nate had gone away early to look for some stray cattle. He didn’t come back when he said he would, and father went to hunt him up. Father didn’t come back either, and I was in the house reading when—when—when Benner’s cowboys came. I fought to get away from them, but there were two of them, and what could I do? They took me to Fritz Dinkelmann’s, and I was told that Benner was coming to see me this morning. Oh, but I am glad you came to my aid, Mr. von Schnitzenhauser!”
“So am I glad,” said the baron, “more glad as I can tell. Vy ditn’t you dry und knock der poards off from der insite, huh?”
“I did try—but I had only my hands.”
She lifted her hands to show him how they had been bruised and scratched.