“Oh, do let me yell?” begged Tavia, “this is all going on without the least bit of enthusiasm from the audience.”
“I’ll make you yell if you don’t keep still,” threatened Nat. “The next person who interrupts this performance will be bounced from the show--and I’m the official bouncer.”
“When I sees them over there,” went on Urania, “first I got scared--thought it was Clem and Brown, the fellows who were put in the ‘jug’ (jail) this morning. But next thing I sees them better and I knew it was the strangers. I just told Dorothy to lay low, and not to move or come out for her life. Then I runs over to the big tree, waving my hands like a ‘lune,’ making on I was giving the guys the tip. Wasn’t that easy?”
“What?” asked Nat, “waving your hand like a lune?”
“Yep, and them fellers believing me. Skip! I told them. The cops is in the cave! Run! ‘They’ve got the goods’ and if they didn’t take the steer and start out just as you fired the guns.”
“And we were the ‘cops’ on the spot!” interrupted Nat. “What did I tell you? If this doesn’t beat all the Wild West shows ever wild wested! The Pretty Girl in the cave--The Kidnapper behind a tree! Then the handsome young fellow (me) to the rescue. The tip of the gypsy maid! Tavia wants to sneak. She is calmed by the handsome young fellow. Guns--Bang! Bang! Bang! The Kidnapper--”
“Oh, ring off!” called Ned. “How many acts in that drama?”
“But isn’t it great? I’ll stage it for the boys next winter. They have been looking for just such a winner--”
“Better get it copyrighted first,” suggested Ned. “Or some of the boys might steal the pretty girl.”
“Now who is interrupting?” asked Tavia. “Where is the ‘bouncer’ this time?”
“Bouncing!” replied Nat, suiting his words to queer antics that greatly amused Urania.
“You have lots of fun--don’t you?” she ventured aside to Dorothy, while a wistful look came into her dark face.
“Sometimes,” replied Dorothy kindly. “Don’t you ever have any fun?”
“But where were you, Urania, when we were getting the things out of the cave?” asked Tavia, determined to hear all of the story.
“Eatin’ water cress over by the big tree. I saw you was gettin’ along all right, so I didn’t see any need to mix in.”
“Which reminds me,” said Dorothy, “that it must be lunch time. I’m famished. Urania, you must stay to lunch. You have worked hard this morning, and you are up since--”