ed his back upon the open doorway and walked a few steps towards
the gate in an effort to recover himself. When he turned again to meet
Mazarine, who had a paper in his hand, there was a flush on his cheek
and a new light in his eye. The old man did not notice that, however,
for his avaricious soul was fixed upon the paper in his hand. He thrust
it before Orlando's eyes. "What you got to say to that, Mister?" he
demanded.

Orlando appeared to examine the paper carefully, and presently he handed
it back and said slowly: "That gives you the extra five hundred. It's a
bargain." How suddenly he had capitulated--

"Cash?" asked the old man triumphantly. How should he know by what means
Orlando had been conquered!

"I've got a cheque in my pocket. I'll fill it in."

"A cheque ain't cash," growled the grizzly one.

"You can cash it in an hour. Come in to Askatoon, and I'll get you the
cash with it now," said Orlando. "I can't. A man's coming for a stallion
I want to sell. Give me a hundred dollars cash now to clinch the
bargain, and I'll meet you at Askatoon to-morrow and get the whole of
it in cash. I don't deal with banks. I pay hard money, and I get hard
money. That's my rule."

"Well, you're in luck, for I've got a hundred dollars," answered
Orlando. "I've just got that, and a dollar besides, in my pocket.
To-morrow you go to my lawyer, Burlingame, at Askatoon, and you'll get
the rest of the money. It will be there waiting for you."

"Cash?" pressed the old man.

"Certainly: Government hundred-dollar bills. Give me a receipt for this
hundred dollars."

"Come inside," said the old man almost cheerfully. He loved having his
own way. He was almost insanely self-willed. It did his dark soul good
to triumph over this "circus rider."

As Joel Mazarine preceded him, Orlando looked up at the window again.
For one instant the beautiful, pale face of the girl-wife appeared, and
then vanished.

At the doorway of the house Orlando Guise stumbled. That was an unusual
thing to happen to him. He was too athletic to step carelessly, and yet
he stumbled and giggled. It was not a fatuous giggle, however. In it
were all kinds of strange things.

CHAPTER V. ORLANDO HAS AN ADVENTURE

Burlingame had the best practice of any lawyer in Askatoon, although his
character had its shady side. The prairie standards were not low; but
tolerance is natural where the community is ready-made; where people
from all points of the compas