She
retreated to the porch and watched his approach.
He was a cowboy and he rode up to the edge of the porch confidently,
calling to her when he came close enough to make himself heard.
"My name's Miller," he said, taking his hat off and showing her the
face of a man of thirty--"Harvey Miller. Me an' my side-kicker was
drivin' a bunch of Three Bar beeves to Lazette an' we was fools enough
to run afoul of that quicksand at Double Fork, about five miles down
the crick. We've bogged down about forty head an' I've come for help.
You got any men around here?"
"Oh," she said; "how careless you were! Didn't you know the quicksand
was there?"
"I ain't been runnin' this range a whole lot," said the puncher
uneasily; "but I reckon even then I ought to be able to nose out a
quicksand. But I didn't, an' there's forty beeves that's goin' to
cow-heaven pretty soon if somethin' ain't done. If you've got any men
around here which could give us a lift, we'd be pleased to thank you."
"Of course," she said. "Wait!"
She went into the house and to the stairs where she called to Dade and
Malcolm, and presently, rubbing their eyes, the two came down. They
were eager to assist the puncher in his trouble and without delay they
caught up the two horses that Calumet had bought soon after his coming
to the ranch, saddled and bridled them and rode out of the yard.
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