Prairie Flowers

This edition is issued under arrangement with the publishers G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York and London The Knickerbocker Press, New York CONTENTS A Prologue 1 I.— An Anniversary 9 II.— Kangaroo Court 18 III.— The Stage Arrives 29 IV.— Y Bar Colston Talks 38 V.— Alice Takes a Ride 50 VI.— At the Red Front 60 VII.— The Texan "Comes A-Shootin'" 68 VIII.— The Escape 81 IX.— On the River 93 X.— Janet McWhorter 107 XI.— At the Mouth of the Coulee 120 XII.— In Timber City 130 XIII.— A Man All Bad 143 XIV.— The Insurgent 156 XV.— Purdy Makes a Ride 163 XVI.— Birds of a Feather 171 XVII.— In the Scrub 182 XVIII.— The Texan Takes the Trail 188 XIX.— At McWhorter's Ranch 197 XX.— At Cinnabar Joe's 209 XXI.— The Passing of Long Bill Kearney 219 XXII.— Cass Grimshaw—Horse-Thief 229 XXIII.— Cinnabar Joe Tells a Story 239 XXIV.— "All Friends Together" 253 XXV.— Janet Pays a Call 267 XXVI.— The Other Woman 276 XXVII.— Some Shooting 288 XXVIII.— Back on Red Sand 304 An Epilogue 314 Prairie Flowers A PROLOGUE The grey roadster purred up the driveway, and Alice Endicott thrust the "home edition" aside and hurried out onto the porch to greet her husband as he stepped around from the garage. "Did the deal go through?" she asked, as her eyes eagerly sought the eyes of the man who ascended the steps. "Yes, dear," laughed Endicott, "the deal went through. You see before you a gentleman of elegant leisure—foot-loose, and unfettered—free to roam where the gods will." "Or will not," laughed his wife, giving him a playful hug. "But, oh, Win, aren't you glad! Isn't it just grand to feel that you don't have to go to the horrible, smoky old city every morning? And don't the soft air, and the young leaves, and the green grass, and the nesting birds make you crazy to get out into the big open places? To get into a saddle and just ride, and ride, and ride? Remember how the sun looked as it rose like a great ball of fire beyond the miles and miles of open bench?" Endicott grinned: "And how it beat down on us along about noon until we could fairly feel ourselves shrivel——" "And how it sank to rest behind the mountains. And the long twilight glow. And how the stars came…