pe
for the slicing."

She paused a moment, frowning thoughtfully at the floor. Then suddenly
she lifted her eyes to Carson's, saying crisply: "Trevors took time at
the end to tell me something. That something was that he was going to
make me sell. He was excited a bit, I'll admit, or he wouldn't have
spoken quite so plainly. And he counted upon the fact of my sex, of
course, to feel confident that he could throw a scare into me. He even
threatened, if I hadn't come to my senses before the ranch was dry in
the summer, to burn me out!"

Carson blinked at her. "How's that?" he asked.

She told him again, coolly indifferent, it seemed to Carson.

"The durned polecat!" whispered the cattle foreman.

"Now then," cried Judith, "you've got your first job cut out for you.
Let Bayne Trevors or one of his gang set foot on Blue Lake land, and
I'll tell you what I think of you, Carson! Or is the job going to be
too big for you?"

Carson smiled deprecatingly. "I'd like to see 'em try it," he said in
that soft, whispering voice which upon occasions was characteristic of
him. "I sure would, Miss Judy!"

"That's all this morning, Carson," she said quietly. "On your way
don't forget to look in on your friend Benny."

Carson went hastily down the knoll, his eyes bright. Judith laughed
softly.

"I've got his number, Bud Lee! All that's needed to keep that old
mountain-lion on the job is to show him a real fight ahead! And by
golly, Mr. Man, there's going to be scrap enough from the very jump to
make Carson forget whether he's working for a woman or John W. Satan,
Esquire!"

V

THE BIGNESS OF THE VENTURE

"And now," said Judith Sanford to the stillness about her--she was
alone in the big ranch-house--"not being constructed of iron, I'm going
to take a snooze."

She yawned, stretched her supple young body luxuriously, and passed
slowly through the empty rooms which, at her command, Jose had opened
to the sweet morning air. Through the great living-room, library, and
music-room, where the grand piano stood dejectedly in its mantle of
dust, she came to her own chambers at the southwest corner of the
building. Her bed was made, the sheets clean and fresh and inviting,
dressing-gown and slippers were upon the window-seat, and from her
table a vase of glorious roses sent out a welcoming perfume.

"Good old Jose," she smiled.

Vivid blossom that she was upon the tough, hardy stalk of her pioneer
ancestry,