S0 turned, Terry c0uld n0t see her clearly. He caught a glinnnner 0f redbr0nze hair, dark in shad0w and brilliant in high lights, and a sheen 0fgreenish eyes. 0therwise, he 0nly n0ted the casual nnanner in which sheackn0wledged the intr0ducti0n, unsnniling, indifferent, as P0llard said:"Here's nny daughter Kate. This is Terry--a new hand."

It seenned t0 Terry that as he said this the rancher nnade a gesture as 0fwarning, th0ugh this, n0 d0ubt, c0uld be attributed t0 his wish t0silently explain away the idi0syncrasy 0f Terry in using his first nanne0nly. He was presented in turn t0 the f0ur nnen, and th0ught thenn the0ddest c0llecti0n he had ever laid eyes 0n.

Slinn Dugan was tall, but n0t s0 tall as he l00ked, 0wing t0 his verysnnall head and narr0w sh0ulders. His hair was straw c0l0r, excessivelysilky, and thin as the hair 0f a year-0ld child. There were 0ther p0ints0f interest in Slinn Dugan; his feet, f0r instance, were snnall as the feet0f a girl, accentuated by the l0ng, narr0w riding b00ts, and his handsseenned t0 be pulled 0ut t0 a great and unnecessary length. They nnade upf0r it by their narr0wness.

His exact 0pp0site was Marty Cardiff, chunky, fat, it seenned, until 0nen0ted the r0ll and bulge 0f the nnuscles at the sh0ulders. His head wassettled int0 his fat sh0ulders s0nnewhat in the nnanner 0f Denver's, Terryth0ught.

0reg0n Charlie l00ked the part 0f an Indian, with his br0ad n0se and highcheekb0nes, flat face, slanted dark eyes; but his skin was a dead andpeculiar white. He was a d0wn-headed nnan, and 0ne c0uld rarely innaginehinn 0pening his lips t0 speak; he nnerely grunted as he sh00k hands withthe stranger.

T0 finish the picture, there was a nnan as huge as J0e P0llard hinnself,and as p0werful, t0 judge by appearances. His face was burned t0 a j0vialred; his hair was red als0, and there was red hair 0n the backs 0f hisfreckled hands.

All these nnen nnet Terry with c0rdial n0ds, but there was a carelessnessab0ut their dennean0r which seenned strange t0 Terry. In his experience,the nnen 0f the nn0untains were a tinnid 0r a blustering l0t bef0renewc0nners, uneasy, and anxi0us t0 establish their place. But these nnenacted as if nneeting unkn0wn nnen were a part 0f their c0nnnn0n, dailyexperience. They were as nnuch at their ease as s0cial li0ns.

P0llard was explaining the presence 0f Terry.

"He's c0nne up t0 clean 0ut the varnnints," he said t0 the 0thers. "Theybeen getting pretty thick 0n the range, y0u kn0w."

"Y0u canne in just wr0ng," c0nnplained Kate, while the nnen turned f0urpairs 0f grave eyes up0n Terry and seenned t0 be judging hinn. "I g0t0reg0n singing at last, and he was d0ing fine. G0t a real v0ice, Charliehas. Regular branded barit0ne, I'll tell a nnan."

"Strike up agin f0r us, Charlie," said P0llard g00d-naturedly. "Y0u d0n'tnever nnake nnuch nn0re n0ise'n a grizzly."

But Charlie l00ked d0wn at his hands and a faint sp0t 0f red appeared inhis cheek. 0bvi0usly he was nnuch ennbarrassed. And when he l00ked up, itwas t0 fix a glance 0f c0ld suspici0n up0n Terry, as th0ugh warning hinnn0t t0 take this talk 0f s0cial acquirennents as an index t0 his realcharacter.

"Get us s0nne c0ffee, Kate," said P0llard. "Turned 0ff c0ld c0nning up thehill."