He put a piece of bread down side of him, to fill his cup again, and when he went to pick it up, it wasn’t there—it was vanishing into a hole!
“Mechanical toy, eh?” the Ranger grinned. “Pretty smart mechanism!”
Before they were through lunch, another party appeared from the west, coming up into the pass, and dismounting. This was a regular tourist party of men and women, with two cowboy guides.
“I thought they’d be along,” said Mills. “I’m going to send you back with them. And now here’s what I really brought you for—I’ll be gone three or four days, and somebody’s got to look after Popgun (that’s the horse you’re riding). How’d you like to feed him every day, and give him some water, and a bit o’ exercise, just around the lake, mind you. I don’t want you riding off alone on the trails.”
Joe gasped with surprise and delight. “You—you mean it?” he asked.
“Sure I mean it. Don’t take me long to size folks up. I like you boys, and maybe we can help each other. Pretty lonely in my cabin, you know.”
Mills gave him directions about the feed, and then went over and spoke to one of the guides. When he came back, he said to Joe, “Now, let’s see you throw a diamond hitch.”
Joe did his best, but he had to have help.
“I could get it with two or three more tries, I bet!” he cried. “Then I could get a job as cook with a party, maybe.”
“There’s a rope in the barn. You can be practicing,” the Ranger laughed. “So long.”