You're always afraid somebody's goin' to go bad.

Look at me and Phil here," he added, as they in turn pushed their chairs back from the table; "you've fussed enough over us to spoil a dozen men, and ain't we been a credit to you all the time ?" At this they laughed together.

But as Phil was leaving the house Mrs.
Baldwin stopped him at the door to say earnestly, "You will be careful to-day, won't you, son?
You know my other Phil--" She stopped and turned away.
The young man knew that story--a story common to that land where the lives of men are not infrequently offered a sacrifice to the untamed strength of the life that in many forms they are daily called upon to meet and master.
"Never mind, mother," he said gently.

"I'll be all right." Then more lightly he added, with his sunny smile, "If that big bay starts anything with me, I'll climb the corral fence pronto." Quietly, as one who faces a hard day's work, Phil went to the saddle shed where he buckled on chaps and spurs.

Then, after looking carefully to stirrup leathers, cinch and latigos, he went on to the corrals, the heavy saddle under his arm.
Curly and Bob, their horses saddled and ready, were making animated targets of themselves for Little Billy, who, mounted on Sheep, a gentle old cow-horse, was whirling a miniature riata.