Читать книгу Grace Harlowe's Overland Riders at Circle O Ranch онлайн

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He explained that he had no family, and that he seldom saw people of the outside world except when he went to town, which was only at rare intervals. He said that his men were preparing for a round-up and that within a few days a bunch of his cowboys would start with a drove of cattle for the north. He led his new friends to the dance-house, which was the cowboys’ bunk-house, and there he introduced them to that rollicking crowd.

The fiddler stopped playing the moment the party appeared in the bunk-house.

Sierra Joe, Squint Nevada, Sallie, and Two-gun Peters, were among the names that rolled readily from the tongue of the rancher as he introduced his men to the Overland Riders.

“And if they don’t talk you to death I reckon they’ll dance you to death,” warned the rancher, grinning at his men. “Scrape, you lazy lout!” he roared to the fiddler.

The cowboys were shy, and stood about awkwardly, avoiding the eyes of the girls who were smiling invitingly.

“See here, boys, aren’t you going to ask us to dance?” cried Emma. “No? Then I am going to ask you. Two-gun Peters, I like your name. It is a perfectly adorable name, and I want to dance with you. If you are half as handy with your feet as your name indicates that you are with your revolver, we’ll have a heavenly dance. Shake your feet, Peter!”