Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.fadedpage.net THE ORPHAN [Illustration: "She unfastened the gold breast-pin which she wore at her throat and pinned the bandage into place." (_See page 95._)] THE ORPHAN By Clarence E. Mulford Author of "Bar-20" With Four Illustrations in Colors By ALLEN TRUE A. L. BURT COMPANY PUBLISHERS NEW YORK Copyright, 1908, by THE OUTING PUBLISHING COMPANY Entered at Stationer's Hall, London, England All Rights Reserved THE ORPHAN AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED TO MY MOTHER CONTENTS I THE SHERIFF RIDES TO WAR 3 II CONCERNING AN ARROW 14 III THE SHERIFF FINDS THE ORPHAN 33 IV THE SECOND OFFENSE 45 V BILL JUSTIFIES HIS CREATION 60 VI THE ORPHAN OBEYS AN IMPULSE 80 VII THE OUTFIT HUNTS FOR STRAYS 104 VIII "A TIMBER WOLF IN HIS OWN COUNTRY" 125 IX THE CROSS BAR-8 LOSES SLEEP 131 X THE ORPHAN PAYS TWO CALLS 147 XI A VOICE FROM THE GALLERY 173 XII A NEW DEAL ALL AROUND 193 XIII THE STAR C GIVES WELCOME 210 XIV THE SHERIFF STATES SOME FACTS 240 XV AN UNDERSTANDING 266 XVI THE FLYING-MARE 284 XVII THE FEAST 299 XVIII PREPARATION 325 XIX THE ORPHAN GOES TO THE A-Y 340 XX BILL ATTENDS THE PICNIC 352 XXI THE ANNOUNCEMENT 368 XXII TEX WILLIARD'S MISTAKE 375 XXIII THE GREAT HAPPINESS 392 ILLUSTRATIONS "She unfastened the gold breast-pin which she wore at her throat and pinned the bandage into place" _Frontispiece_ "'The less you count the longer you'll live!' said Shields" 192 The Orphan gives Blake Shields' note 214 "The Orphan stepped back a pace and dropped the Colt into its holster" 390 THE ORPHAN CHAPTER I THE SHERIFF RIDES TO WAR