"What, me?" said Skinny. "Me hurt? Say, didn't you see the critter run when I got after her?" "I should say I did, only I was scared. Wasn't you scared?" "I don't scare worth a cent," he told her. "I ain't afraid of any cow a-livin'. You don't suppose I'd 'a' chased her all over the pasture, if I'd been scared, do you?" "N-no, but----" "Say, if my lasso hadn't slipped, there would have been something doing. It's lucky for you that I got hold of her tail. That's the way to do it. When you twist a cow's tail, it scares 'em." It's just as Hank says, you never can tell what a girl will do. That girl tried to say something; then choked up and went off into a fit of laughing that made the tears roll down her cheeks and left her so weak that she had to hang on to the fence. Skinny grinned a little to be polite, but he didn't like it very well. "Oh," said she, as soon as she could speak, "it was too--too funny for anything to see you sailing along behind the cow." "It wouldn't have been so funny if the cow had been running toward you, instead of away from you. You would have laughed out of the other side of your mouth, I guess." She saw that he was mad about it. "You mustn't mind my laughing," said she, stuffing her handkerchief into her mouth. "I can't help it. It's a disease." "A disease?" "Yes, it's high strikes. When folks have them they can't stop laughing. They laugh when they ought to cry, maybe." "Sounds like a ball game," said Skinny. "It's something like that," she told him. "Maybe that isn't it exactly but it's something. I'm better now." "Oh, well, if it's something that ails you, I suppose it's all right. I'd laugh, too, only I am all out of breath from chasing the cow." When he said that the girl burst out laughing again, and Skinny laughed with her. That made them feel acquainted. "I guess I've got 'em, too," said he. "They must be catching. Well, I must be going now." "My name is Mary Richmond," she told him, "I live in Holyoke and I am visiting over where you see that red barn." "Mine is Gabriel Miller. I don't like the name very well. Gabe isn't so bad. The boys call me Skinny. I live down in the village and I am on a hike. I guess I'd better be going now." "I don't see any." "Any what?" "What you said you were on, a hike." "You will see one in about a minute. I am out for a long walk. I belong to the Boy Scouts and I've got to walk seven miles, camp out to-night, and come back to-morrow." "My," said she, "you must be hungry--all that walking and--and--chasing the cow, too." "I am," said Skinny, bracing up. "I believe I'll eat my lunch right here in the shade. Wish you'd stay and eat with me. I can cook some bacon." Wasn't that a nervy thing to say? Skinny is brave when he gets started.