Tall, round and soople, limber and springy in her action as a thoroughbred, and with something modest yet kind of daring in her face that would remind you of a good, honest boy.  Red, white, and black were the colours she flew.  Hair and eyes black, cheeks and lips red, and the rest of her white.  Now, there’s a pile of difference in them colours; when you say ‘red,’ for instance, you ain’t cleaned up the subject by a sight.  My top-knot’s red, but that wasn’t the colour of Loy’s cheeks.  No; that was a colour I never saw before nor since.  A rose would look like a tomater alongside of ’em.  Then, too, I’ve seen black eyes so hard and shiny you could cut glass with ’em.  And again that wasn’t her style.  The only way you could get a notion of what them eyes were like would be to look at ’em; you’d remember ’em all right if you did.  Seems like the good Lord was kind of careless when he built Jonesy, but when he turned that girl out he played square with the fambly.

“I ain’t what you might call a man that’s easily disturbed in his mind, but I know I says to myself that first day, ’If I was ten year younger, young lady, they’d never lug you back East again.’  Gee, man!  There was a time when I’d have pulled the country up by the roots but I’d have had that girl!  I notice I don’t fall in love so violent as the years roll on.  I can squint my eye over the cards now and say, ’Yes, that’s a beautiful hand, but I reckon I’d better stay out,’ and lay ’em down without a sigh; whereas, when I was a young feller, it I had three aces in sight I’d raise the rest of the gathering right out of their foot-leather—­or get caught at it.  Usually I got caught at it, for a man couldn’t run the mint long with the kind of luck I have.

“Well, I was plumb disgusted with the fool way I’d rigged myself up, but, fortunately for me, Darragh, the station-man, came out with the girl.  ‘There’s Reddy, from your ranch now, ma’am,’ says he, and when he caught sight of me, ’What’s the matter, Red; are the Injuns up?’

“Darragh was a serious Irishman, and that’s the mournfullest thing on top of the globe; and besides, he believed anything you’d tell him.  There ain’t any George Washington strain in my stock, so I proceeded to get out of trouble.

“‘They ain’t up exactly,’ says I, ’but it looked as if they were a leetle on the rise, and being as I had a lady to look out for, I thought I’d play safe.’

“The colour kind of went out of the girl’s cheeks.  Eastern folks are scandalous afraid of Injuns.

“‘Perhaps I’d better not start?’ says she.

“‘Don’t you be scart, miss,’ says Darragh.  ’You’re all right as long as you’re with Red—­he’s the toughest proposition we’ve got in this part of the country.’

“‘I’m obliged to you, Darragh,’ says I. He meant well, but hell’s full of them people.  I’d have given a month’s wages for one lick at him.  Nice reputation to give me before that girl!  She eyed me mighty doubtful.