Kitty was led in, and Chunky made his preparations with sundry flourishes to show the spectators that he knew what he was about. Kitty was not unobservant, and every move of the Overland boy was narrowly watched by her.
"I should advise you to watch her ears," urged Grace.
"It isn't her ears, it's those hind feet that I am interested in," replied Stacy. "Ears can't hurt a fellow--feet can," he said. "Whoa, you brute!" added Stacy, running a hand down one of the pony's hind legs, then lifting the foot from the ground.
What followed was almost too swift for the human eye. Barely had the foot been lifted than Kitty kicked the boy clear out of the shop. In his flight, Chunky was catapulted against the cook, and both went down in a heap.
The faces of the cow-punchers relaxed. They howled, fired their revolvers into the air and went fairly wild with joy, while Grace and Elfreda disentangled Stacy and the cowboys' cook and stood them on their feet.
"Are you hurt?" begged Grace solicitously.
"Of course I am. I'm killed, but the white mare is going to get worse than I did," threatened the fat boy.
"Cool off. Don't punish her now," advised Elfreda.
"I don't want to cool off. I want to shoe that beast." Stacy strode belligerently to the now meek little animal. "I ought to break your miserable neck, but I haven't time to do it to-day. Besides, the weather is too warm. If I did, this outfit would make me dig a hole and bury you. I always get the worst of it when trying to do a good turn for others. Now you stand still or I'll surely forget myself."
This time Kitty made no objection to having her loose shoe removed, but once off Stacy did not know how to put it on again, and Tom Gray had to finish the job to the great enjoyment of the cowboys. The job finally finished, Stacy and Hippy perspiring from their efforts, the Overlanders went out to watch the range men come in, uttering wild whoops as they discovered that there were women in camp.
Throwing themselves from their saddles, the range men soused their heads in the creek that flowed near the ranch-house, and were ready for the evening meal. After supper, all hands lounged out to the green in front of the bunkhouse, smoked their pipes and told thrilling stories of adventure in the Sierras--told them for the benefit of the tenderfeet who were their guests.