Jimmie laid the paper down on his bunk and looked at it solemnly and
stupidly. After a little he said softly:
"Yes, John, you did everlastingly put one over on me."
Augusta broke all her rules as she announced gravely:
"He had us kidded to death." Then she dropped laughing into Jimmie's
arms.
"Augusta," Jimmie howled, between spasms of laughing, "do you remember
how I stood nobly in the dense forest while the gatling guns were
charging down upon us and announced in a dying whisper:
"'Surrounded!'"
"And I," Augusta cried through tears of laughing, "I was behind your
back all the time motioning the man to take Donahue and fly for
liberty!"
"It's a good thing we're married to each other," roared Jimmie. "It'd
be a pity to spoil two houses with us."
Augusta got up suddenly. She had made a discovery.
"Do you know," she inquired indignantly, "why that man went away from
the fire so suddenly like that. He went away some place to laugh at us!"
"He's laughing yet," said Wardwell, and he went off into another roar.
"But, we'll be game, dear. We won't run away. We'll stay right here
till John McQuade comes back and has his laugh out."
Augusta went out of the wagon and Jimmie began to dress. With one
shoe on and the other in his hand he thought of something. He pulled
the curtain of the wagon door about him and called Augusta in a bated
whisper.
"For heavens' sake," he appealed, "don't let Donahue hear of this! I
never could face him."