“Will you join us at lunch, Colonel Cody, and you, too, Mr. Mainwaring? I want to hear some more about that ranch of yours in Texas, and my girls will be delighted to meet you, Colonel Cody, and listen to some stories about your adventures.” “I don’t think it will be easy to induce Cody to tell them,” said Jack Mainwaring, smiling. “Somebody else is always the hero of the stories he tells. I have known him for three weeks, but all that I have heard about his adventures has been from other people.” Both men accepted Mr. Doyle’s invitation and went into the small, stuffy dining room of the hotel with him. They found there two girls, of about twenty and eighteen years of age respectively, whom they were introduced to by Mr. Doyle. The elder was his daughter May and the younger was Gertrude. Both were pretty, but the elder was by far the prettier, and Buffalo Bill, wise in such matters, could see at a glance that young Mainwaring was powerfully attracted by her. It was the first time they had met, for he had only made the acquaintance of Mr. Doyle a short time before he introduced Cody to him. The party sat down to lunch, Norfolk Ben waiting on them, and they were soon in the midst of an animated conversation. Jack Mainwaring told stories of his life on his ranch in Texas. He was a wealthy young fellow, owning one of the best cattle runs in that State. He was now enjoying a hunting trip in the farther West, and Buffalo Bill, whom he met some time before, had been able to show him some very good sport. As Mr. Doyle had prophesied, the two girls were eager to hear the king of scouts tell about his own deeds, but he evaded their questions and appeals as well as he could. He was more silent and abstracted than was his wont, and something seemed to be weighing on his mind, in spite of the gayety of the little party. “Mr. Doyle,” he said suddenly, in a lull in the conversation, “would you mind telling me why you have halted in this little place on your journey to California? The accommodations are so bad that I am sure you would not have done so without some very good reason.” “Necessity was my reason,” replied the old gentleman, smiling. “I have a train of three wagons, and one of the wagons was so badly damaged in crossing a deep gully near here that we had to stop to have it repaired. From what they tell me, it will be a pretty long job. They have few facilities for such work in a little place like Danger Divide.” “It is a pity you could not have gone on to Fort McPherson, seventy miles farther on,” said Buffalo Bill. “It is a military post, and they have all the means for doing such work. The general who commands the post would have been pleased to help you. I know him well, for I am attached to the post as his chief of scouts.” “We could hardly get to Danger Divide,” replied the old man. Buffalo Bill thought deeply for a few minutes, hesitating whether or not he should speak out what was in his mind. Then he said: