a dusty spot in the
corral. The young colt lay stretched out on the fat of its side in the
sun, sound asleep. The sorrel mare lay beside it, asleep also, with
her head thrown up against her shoulder. Somewhere in a shed a calf
was bawling in bored lonesomeness away from its mother feeding down the
pasture. And over all the coulee and the buildings nestled against the
bluff at its upper end was spread that atmosphere of homey comfort and
sheltered calm which surrounds always a home that is happy.

Lite Avery, riding toward home just when the shadows were beginning to
grow long behind him, wondered if Jean would be back by the time he
reached the ranch. He hoped so, with a vague distaste at finding the
place empty of her cheerful presence. Be looked at his watch; it was
nearly four o'clock. She ought to be home by half-past four or five,
anyway. He glanced sidelong at Jim and quietly slackened his pace a
little. Jim was telling one of those long, rambling tales of the little
happenings of a narrow life, and Lite was supposed to be listening
instead of thinking about when Jean would return home. Jim believed he
was listening, and drove home the point of his story.

"Yes, sir, them's his very words. Art Osgood heard him. He'll do it,
too, take it from me, Crofty is shore riled up this time."

"Always is," Lite observed, without paying much attention. "I'll turn
off here, Jim, and cut across. Got some work I want to get done yet
to-night. So long."

He swung away from his companion, whose trail to the Bar Nothing led
him straight west, passing the Lazy A coulee well out from its mouth,
toward the river. Lite could save a half mile by bearing off to the
north and entering the coulee at the eastern side and riding up through
the pasture. He wanted to see how the grass was coming on, anyway.
The last rain should have given it a fresh start.

He was in no great hurry, after all; he had merely been bored with
Jim's company and wanted to go on alone. And then he could get the
fire started for Jean. Lite's life was running very smoothly indeed;
so smoothly that his thoughts occupied themselves largely with little
things, save when they concerned themselves with Jean, who had been
away to school for a year and had graduated from "high," as she called
it, just a couple of weeks ago, and had come home to keep house for dad
and Lite. The novelty of her presence on the ranch was still fresh
enough to fill his thou