their territorial rights, and ready to resent intrusion upon them.

Another horseback rider was moving across the prairie toward her, and the
girl smiled when she saw him and stopped to watch his calico pony lope
unevenly across the grass-covered slope. The pony was prone to drop into a
rough trot at short intervals, and at such times was urged to renewed
efforts by a dig of its rider's heels in the under regions of its stunted
body. In order to get his heels in contact with his mount, the lanky boy
was obliged to elevate his knees slightly, and when it was over his feet
dropped languidly and his heavy plow-shoes dangled loosely, with several
inches of bare ankle in evidence before the faded overalls concealed
further stretches of the hairy legs.

"Howdie, Lizzie!" he said with a pleasant smile as he drew his pony up
beside her. "I've got something to tell you. We've sold out, an' goin'
right off. Th' other folks moved in last night. They was goin' through
with a wagon an' stopped to eat. They found out that pap wanted to sell
an' go back to Minnesoty, an' took th' land quick. I've come to say
good-bye."

It had been so exciting that he had tumbled his news all out at once,
although he was a quiet boy and slow of speech.

"Oh, Luther! Are you really going away?" The girl exclaimed in dismay.

"Yass," the boy replied, falling back unconsciously into Swedish
pronunciation. He had begun his announcement with pleased animation, but
now that it was out, and she was sorry, the going did not seem so
pleasing. "I wisht I wasn't!" he added with quick dejection.

"I should think you'd be glad. I'd be glad, if I was going too."

The boy looked surprised and asked with some curiosity, "What do you want
to go for? I thought you liked Kansas."

"Put your hand on your horse's neck," she commanded, leaning forward and
setting the example.

The boy did as she told him, but drew his hand back suddenly.

"Gosh!" he exclaimed. "Don't their hair get hot in this sun!"

"Well, I'm just as hot as that all over," she replied emphatically, "and I
want to go to a country where a body can get under a tree once in a while.
I can't go in till five o'clock, and I forgot my jug, and I'm so thirsty I
feel as if I'd crack like this ground," she said, pointing to the earth
between them.

"Jimminy! I'll ride back and fetch you a drink," he said, poking his heels
into his pony's ribs so suddenly that the little beast kicked spitefully.

The