E-text prepared by K. Nordquist, Alexander Bauer, Sigal Alon, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) PRAIRIE FLOWERS by JAMES B. HENDRYX Author of _"The Gun Brand," "The Promise," "The Texan,"_ _"The Gold Girl," etc._ A. L. Burt Company Publishers New York Published by arrangement with G. P. Putnam's Sons Copyright, 1920 by James B. Hendryx Made in the United States of America BY JAMES B. HENDRYX The Promise The Gun Brand The Texan The Gold Girl Prairie Flowers Snowdrift Connie Morgan in Alaska Connie Morgan with the Mounted Connie Morgan in the Lumber Camps Connie Morgan in the Fur Country This edition is issued under arrangement with the publishers G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS, NEW YORK AND LONDON The Knickerbocker Press, New York CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE 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.