“‘Dear! dear!’ says he.  ’The hurry and skurry of young folks!  How idle it seems when you get fifty years away from it, and see how little anything counts!  For all that, I thank God,’ says he, ’that there’s a little red left in my blood yet, which makes me sympathise with them.  But the girl’s people object you say?’

“I made that all clear to him.  The girl’s always all right, Father,’ says I, ‘and as for the man in this case, my word for him.’

“Now it ain’t just the right thing for me to say, but seeing as I’ve never had anything in particular to be modest about, and I’m proud of what the old gentleman told me, I’m going to repeat it.

“‘Your word is good for me, Red,’ says he.  ’You’re a mischievous boy at times, but your heart and your head are both reliable; give me your arm to the waggon.’

“Then I felt mighty sorry to think of lugging that poor old man all that ways.

“‘Here!’ says I.  ’Now you sit down again; don’t you do anything of the sort—­you ain’t fit.’

“He put his hand on my shoulder and hobbled his weight off the game leg.

“’Reddy, I was sitting there thinking when you came in—­thinking of how comfortable it was to be in an easy-chair with my foot on a stool, and then I thought, “If the Lord should send me some work to do, would I be willing?” Now, thanks be to Him!  I am willing, and glad to find myself so, and I do not believe there’s any work more acceptable to Him than the union of young folk who love each other.  Ouch!’ says he, as that foot touched the ground.  ’Perhaps you’d better pick me up and carry me bodily.’

“So I did it, the old housekeeper following us with an armful of things and jawing the both of us—­him for a fool and me for a villain.  She was a strong-minded old lady, and I wish I could remember some of her talk—­it was great.

“We went around and got the doctor.

“‘Hoo!’ says he.  ‘Is it as bad as that?’ I winked at Father Slade.

“‘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.