noon
bantered Chip . `` By golly , we 'll stake her to a hay knife and tell her to go after him ! '' cried Slim , suddenly waking up to the situation . The noon train slid away from the little , red depot at Dry Lake and curled out of sight around a hill . The only arrival looked expectantly into the cheerless waiting room , gazed after the train , which seemed the last link between her and civilization , and walked to the edge of the platform with a distinct frown upon the bit of forehead visible under her felt hat . A fat young man threw the mail sack into a weather-beaten buggy and drove leisurely down the track to the post office . The girl watched him out of sight and sighed disconsolately .