“Aw, a handicap!  Thet was what Bill was drivin’ at.  Why didn’t he say so?  Every time Bill comes to a word thet’s pie to us old golfers he jest stumbles.  Miss Majesty, you’ve made it all clear as print.  An’ I may say with becomin’ modesty thet you wasn’t mistaken none about me bein’ sportsmanlike.  Me an’ Link was born thet way.  An’ we accept the handicap.  Lackin’ thet handicap, I reckon Link an’ me would have no ambish to play our most be-ootiful game.  An’ thankin’ you, Miss Majesty, an’ all your friends, I want to add thet if Bill’s outfit couldn’t beat us before, they’ve got a swell chanct now, with you ladies a-watchin’ me an’ Link.”

Monty had seemed to expand with pride as he delivered this speech, and at the end he bowed low and turned away.  He joined the group round Stillwell.  Once more there was animated discussion and argument and expostulation.  One of the cowboys came for Castleton and led him away to exploit upon ground rules.

It seemed to Madeline that the game never would begin.  She strolled on the rim of the mesa, arm in arm with Edith Wayne, and while Edith talked she looked out over the gray valley leading to the rugged black mountains and the vast red wastes.  In the foreground on the gray slope she saw cattle in movement and cowboys riding to and fro.  She thought of Stewart.  Then Boyd Harvey came for them, saying all details had been arranged.  Stillwell met them half-way, and this cool, dry, old cattleman, whose face and manner scarcely changed at the announcement of a cattle-raid, now showed extreme agitation.

“Wal, Miss Majesty, we’ve gone an’ made a foozle right at the start,” he said, dejectedly.

“A foozle?  But the game has not yet begun,” replied Madeline.

“A bad start, I mean.  It’s amazin’ bad, an’ we’re licked already.”

“What in the world is wrong?”

She wanted to laugh, but Stillwell’s distress restrained her.

“Wal, it’s this way.  That darn Monty is as cute an’ slick as a fox.  After he got done declaimin’ about the handicap he an’ Link was so happy to take, he got Castleton over hyar an’ drove us all dotty with his crazy gol-lof names.  Then he borrowed Castleton’s gol-lof coat.  I reckon borrowed is some kind word.  He just about took that blazin’ coat off the Englishman.  Though I ain’t sayin’ but that Casleton was agreeable when he tumbled to Monty’s meanin’.  Which was nothin’ more ’n to break Ambrose’s heart.  That coat dazzles Ambrose.  You know how vain Ambrose is.  Why, he’d die to get to wear that Englishman’s gol-lof coat.  An’ Monty forestalled him.  It’s plumb pitiful to see the look in Ambrose’s eyes.  He won’t be able to play much.  Then what do you think?  Monty fixed Ed Linton, all right.  Usually Ed is easy-goin’ an’ cool.  But now he’s on the rampage.  Wal, mebbe it’s news to you to learn that Ed’s wife is powerful, turrible jealous of him.  Ed was somethin’