And next morning she excused herself while her father bought supplies. She called at the supervisor's office. Bud Shoop beamed. She was so alert, so vivacious, and so charming in her quick slenderness. The genial Bud placed a chair for her with grandiloquent courtesy. "I'm going to ask a terrible favor," she began, crossing her legs and clasping her knee. "I'm pow'ful scared," said Bud. "I don't want favors that way. I want you to like me, and then I will tell you." "My goodness, missy! Like you! Who said I didn't?" "No one. But you have ordered Lorry Adams to close up his camp and go over to work right near the Apache Reservation." "I sure did." "Well, Mr. Shoop, I don't like Apaches." "You got comp'ny, missy. But what's that got to do with Lorry?" "Oh, I suppose he doesn't care. But what do you think his _mother_ would say to you if he--well, if he got _scalped_?" A slow grin spread across Bud's broad face. Dorothy looked solemn disapproval. "I can't help it," he said as he shook all over. Two tears welled in the corner of his eyes and trickled down his cheeks. "I can't help it, missy. I ain't laughin' at you. But Lorry gettin' scalped! Why, here you been livin' up here, not five miles from the Apache line, and I ain't heard you tell of bein' scared of Injuns. And you ain't no bigger than a minute at that." "That's just it! Suppose the Apaches did come over the line? What could we do if Lorry were gone?" "Well, you might repo't their trespassin' to me. And I reckon your daddy might have somethin' to say to 'em. He's been around some." "Oh, I suppose so. But there is a lot of work to do in Lorry's district, I noticed, coming down. The trails are in very bad condition." "I know it. But he's worth more to the Service doin' bigger work. I got a young college man wished onto me that can mend trails." "Will he live at Lorry's cabin?" "No. He'll head in from here. I ain't givin' the use of my cabin and my piano to everybody." Dorothy's eyes twinkled. "If Lorry were away some one might steal your piano." "Now, see here, missy; you're joshin' your Uncle Bud. Do you know that you're tryin' to bribe a Gov'ment officer? That means a pow'ful big penalty if I was to repo't to Washington." Dorothy wrinkled her nose. "I don't care if you do! You'd get what-for, too." "Well, I'll tell you, missy. Let's ask Bondsman about this here hocus. Are you willin' to stand by what he says?" "Oh, that's not fair! He's _your_ dog." "But he's plumb square in his jedgments, missy. Now, I'll tell you. We'll call him in and say nothin'. Then you ask him if he thinks I ought to put Lorry Adams over west or leave him to my camp this summer. Now, if Bondsman wiggles that stub tail of his, it means, 'yes.' If he don't wiggle his tail, he says, 'no,'--huh?" "Of course he'll wiggle his tail. He always does when I talk to him." "Then suppose I do the talkin'?"