But whilst I was gettin' kinda used to things, I didn't stop keepin' a' eye out. I went clean 'round the track twicet. No Macie. I tell y', I begun to feel sorta caved-in. Then, all of a suddent, just as I was toppin' a little rise of ground, I seen her! _She_ wasn't hangin' on to the side of her hoss, no, ma'am! She was ridin' the prettiest _kind_ of a bronc, fat and sassy. And she was settin' a-straddle, straight and graceful, in a spick-and-span new suit, and a three-cornered hat like George Washington. I let out a yell that would 'a' raised the hair of a reservation Injun. "Macie Sewell!" I says--just like that. I give my blamed little nag a hit that put her into her jerky trot. And I come 'longside, humpin' like Sam Hill. She pulled her hoss down to a standstill; and them long eye-winkers of hern lifted straight up into the air, she was so surprised. "Alec!" she says. "Yas, Alec," I answers. "Aw, dear little gal, is y' glad t' see me?" "Wal, what 're _you_ doin' here!" she goes on. "I cain't hardly believe what I see." I was so blamed flustered, and so happy, and so--so scairt, that I had t' go say the _one_ thing that was plumb foolish. "I'm on hand t' take you back home if you're ready," I answers. (Hole on till I give myself another good, ten-hoss-power kick!) Up till now, her look 'd been all friendly enough. But now of a suddent it got cold and offish. "Take me home!" she begun; "_home!_ Wal, I like that! Why, I'm just about t' make a great, big success, _yas_. And I'll thank you not t' spoil my chanst with any more of you' tricks." She swung her bronc round into the trail. "Macie! Spoil you' chanst!" I answers. "Why, honey, I wouldn't do that. I only want t' be friends----" Her eyes can give out fire just like her paw's. And when I said that, she give me one turrible mad stare. Then, she throwed up her chin, spurred her bronc, and went trottin' off, a-humpin' the same as the rest of the ladies. I follered after her as fast as I could. "Macie," I says, "talk ain't goin' t' show you how I feel. And I'll not speak to you again till you want me to. But I'll allus be clost by. And if ever you need me----" She set her hoss into a run then. So I fell behind--and come nigh pullin' the mouth plumb outen that crow-bait I was on. "Wal, Mister Cupid," I says to myself, "that Kansas cyclone the boss talked about seems t' be still a-movin'." I wasn't discouraged, though,--I wasn't discouraged. "One of these times," I says, "she'll come t' know that I only want t' help her." Next mornin', I started my jumpin'-jack business again. And _that_ whack, I shore got a rough layout: 'Round and 'round that blamed park, two hunderd and forty-'leven times, without grub, 'r a drink, 'r even water! And me a-hirin' that hoss _by the hour!_ Just afore sundown, she showed up, and passed me with her eyes fixed on a spot about two miles further on. A little huffy, yet, y' might say!