Supper was over, and there had fallen upon the camp the silence that accompanies the rolling of corn-husk cigarettes. The water hole shone from the dark earth like a patch of fallen sky. Coyotes . Dull indicated the rocking-horse movements of the hobbled as they moved to fresh grass. A half-troop of the Frontier of Texas were distributed about the fire.  
A well-known sound—the fluttering and scraping of chaparral against wooden stirrups—came from the thick brush above the camp. The rangers listened cautiously. They heard a loud and cheerful voice call out :
 
" up, Muriel, old girl, we're 'most there now! Been a long ride for ye, ain't it, ye old handful of carpet-tacks? Hey, now, quit a tryin' to kiss me! Don't hold on to my neck so tight—this here paint hoss ain't any too shore-footed, let me tell ye. He's liable to dump us both off if we don't watch out."
 
Two minutes of waiting brought a tired "paint" single-footing into camp. A youth of twenty lolled in the saddle. Of the "Muriel" whom he had been addressing, nothing was to be seen.
 
"Hi, fellows!" shouted the rider cheerfully. "This here's a letter fer Manning."
 
He dismounted, unsaddled, dropped the coils of his stake-rope, and got his hobbles from the saddle-horn. While Lieutenant Manning, in command, was reading the letter, the newcomer, rubbed at some dried mud in the loops of the hobbles, showing a consideration for the forelegs of his mount.
 
"Boys," said the lieutenant, waving his hand to the rangers, "this is Mr. James Hayes. He's a new member of the company. Captain McLean sends him down from El Paso. The boys will see that you have some supper, Hayes, as soon as you get your pony hobbled."
 
The recruit was received cordially by the rangers. Still, they observed him shrewdly and with suspended . Picking a comrade on the border is done with ten times the care and with............