“Good-night,” he said, hastily, and disappeared. A moment later the beat of hoofs became audible as he led the bunch of horses away.
For a time there was silence. Then Billy, “By God, Hank, I means to stand in with you, but you let that kid alone, or I plugs you!”
“Kid, huh!” grunted Hank. “Alfred a kid! I’ve hearn tell of him.”
“What’ve you heard?” inquired the girl.
“He’s th’ plumb best scout on th’ southern trail,” replied Black Hank.
The year following, Billy Knapp, Alfred, and another man named Jim Buckley took across to the hills the only wagon-train that dared set out that summer.
XII
THE NIGHTINGALE AND THE ROSE
By Oscar Wilde
From “Fairy Tales,” copyright, 1913, by G. P. Putnam’s Sons. By special permission from the publishers.
“She said that she would dance with me if I brought her red roses,” cried the young Student; “but in all my garden there is no red rose.”