“Oh, Dad, isn’t this too romantic for words!” Belle Ada burst out. “And all this happened because the letters Mrs. Tripp sent were mislaid! But, Gus, didn’t you know your wife was Joe Marino’s sister?” she asked, her eyes wide. “Nope! That’s one too many for me, even now. His name’s Marino, an’ hers is--I mean was--Kolto. I don’t see--” “Gus, if you do any more thinkin’ you’ll get a headache!” Mr. Manley exclaimed, laughing loudly. Then he clapped his re-engaged cowboy on the back. “Pull up that chair an’ dive into this here roast chicken! Now, boys, I’ll drink that toast I started--here’s to Mr. and Mrs. Tripp. May they live long an’ happy an’ never have more than one scrap a day!” “Bardwell!” Mrs. Manley chided, and smiled. “I’m sure Gus and his wife won’t have one single dispute as long as they’re married!” “Well, I don’t reckon we will either; hey, honey?” Gus exclaimed, and glanced at his wife lovingly. “Boss, you ought to see this little girl ride. I want to match her with Teddy some day. Honestly, boss, she--” “Gus, sit down!” his wife, her face pink, pulled his arm. “They don’t want to hear all that.” “Sure we do!” Roy declared. “Jules, you sit over next to your sister. I guess Sing Lung won’t mind if you leave him. Will you, Sing?” “Me no min’ anyt’ing! Me happy--Me likee loast chickee velly, velly much! You glandflather--him do too,” and he proceeded to test the capacity of his mouth. “He means so does your old man--an’ he’s right, at that!” Mr. Manley laughed. “Sing Lung, you’re not gettin’ ahead of the boss at chicken eatin’!” Jules Kolto, a happy smile on his face, took the place Roy had indicated. He had forgotten entirely about his wound, and with good reason. This was his sister--the girl he had stolen for--the girl he had traveled many weary, long miles for, only to have the money, for which he had sacrificed so much, taken from him and himself left to wander three days without food, until he had found Mr. Manley. This was the girl--here, sitting beside him! No wonder he held his head high, no wonder his eyes sparkled! Gus, pulling his chair close to his wife, obeyed the instruction of the boss to “dive in.” But his eating ability was somewhat hampered by the fact that he used only one hand. The other was elsewhere engaged--as was his wife’s. All these friends we shall meet again in the next volume, to be called “The X Bar X Boys on Big Bison Trail.” Of course Teddy and Roy will be there--in fact, very much in evidence. But now watch them at the table, surrounded by the boys who had been their companions in many adventures. Teddy is holding up a drum-stick from which the meat has been cleanly picked and waving it around his head. “As our friend Shakespeare said,” he exclaimed, “the world is a stage--an’ I’m glad I got a ring-side seat!” “_I’ve_ got,” came from Bug Eye. “The plural takes the possessive case.”