nces of buttressed castles with gray and
splendid battlements.

But Cooney was still loath to linger over mere scenery. He hurried his
rider down the ridge and out on a flat of marshy grass, thickly starred
with purple gentians. Here he delayed only to recall, as it later
appeared, a duty familiar to him in the days before he was sold into
bondage. Standing across the trail where it neared the margin of the
lake, a sedate-looking cow grazed and was at peace with the world.

Looking up as the horse bore down upon her, and observing that she was
expected to move, the cow did so with but slight signs of annoyance in
the shaking of her head. The incident, however, was not thus simply to
be closed, for now began that which enabled the lady to regard the day
as one of red adventure. Cooney swerved from the trail with a suddenness
that was like to have unseated his rider. Then as the cow halted, head
down and forefeet braced, he swerved once more, heading so obviously for
the beast that she turned and trotted off on the trail, mumbling
petulant remonstrance. With a knowing shake of his head Cooney fell in
behind her.

His intention might no longer be mistaken. He meant to drive the cow.
Did she turn aside, Cooney turned aside, ever alert for her slightest
deviation. The trail now lay through a grove of spruce and balsam
that had been partially cleared, but the trees were still too many
for the lady to relish being hurtled among them by a volatile and
too-conscientious cow pony. She found herself eying their charge as
alertly as did Cooney himself, praying that the driven beast might
prove less reluctant. When she did break from the trail Mrs. Laithe
braced herself to meet Cooney's simultaneous detour, and thereafter,
until the indignant animal was again in the beaten way, the rider was
engaged in avoiding fearful impact with trees and entanglement with
low-growing branches. She debated the wisdom of dropping from the saddle
and abandoning herself to the more seemly fate of starvation in this
wooded fastness. To be sure, there was a chance that Cooney would rush
on to find his late master, who might return to solve the problem of the
empty saddle. But even so, that young man would only glance at her and
run swiftly away, after he had blushed. Moreover Cooney, whom she now
believed to be demented, had increased his speed, despite her
restraining pulls, while the cow, in a frenzy of desperation, became
more daring in her sorti