ig deals, he was
probably more interested in both of them than in the business game.
Bob's trick of whirling was of especial moment to him. How to overcome
it,--that was the thing. Suppose he did meet with Dede out in the
hills; and suppose, by some lucky stroke of fate, he should manage to
be riding alongside of her; then that whirl of Bob's would be most
disconcerting and embarrassing. He was not particularly anxious for
her to see him thrown forward on Bob's neck. On the other hand,
suddenly to leave her and go dashing down the back-track, plying quirt
and spurs, wouldn't do, either.

What was wanted was a method wherewith to prevent that lightning whirl.
He must stop the animal before it got around. The reins would not do
this. Neither would the spurs. Remained the quirt.

But how to accomplish it? Absent-minded moments were many that week,
when, sitting in his office chair, in fancy he was astride the
wonderful chestnut sorrel and trying to prevent an anticipated whirl.
One such moment, toward the end of the week, occurred in the middle of
a conference with Hegan. Hegan, elaborating a new and dazzling legal
vision, became aware that Daylight was not listening. His eyes had
gone lack-lustre, and he, too, was seeing with inner vision.

"Got it" he cried suddenly. "Hegan, congratulate me. It's as simple
as rolling off a log. All I've got to do is hit him on the nose, and
hit him hard."

Then he explained to the startled Hegan, and became a good listener
again, though he could not refrain now and again from making audible
chuckles of satisfaction and delight. That was the scheme. Bob always
whirled to the right. Very well. He would double the quirt in his
hand and, the instant of the whirl, that doubled quirt would rap Bob on
the nose. The horse didn't live, after it had once learned the lesson,
that would whirl in the face of the doubled quirt.

More keenly than ever, during that week in the office did Daylight
realize that he had no social, nor even human contacts with Dede. The
situation was such that he could not ask her the simple question
whether or not she was going riding next Sunday. It was a hardship of a
new sort, this being the employer of a pretty girl. He looked at her
often, when the routine work of the day was going on, the question he
could not ask her tickling at the founts of speech--Was she going
riding next Sunday? And as he looked, he wondered how old she was, and
what l