ff and flirt
with Bob themselves."

It was some time before the two men finished their ugly job. Polly saw
them come out from behind the bushes and go into the house by the back
door. She stretched herself sleepily--it was beginning to be a bit chilly,
even when wrapped in a coat and a serape. Perhaps it would be wiser to go
in. She folded the serape and started for the door, only to stop midway as
Scott came out.

"Oh," she said, "I thought you'd all gone to bed."

"And you know you ought to," said he. "I don't blame you for not wanting
to. Those mountains get one, don't they?"

They were standing exactly where they had stood so short a time ago, but
so much had happened since that it seemed hours gone by. It wasn't to be
expected, the girl thought, that they could go on from where they had left
off. She looked up. He was staring at the mountains. She felt a ridiculous
mixture of relief and disappointment.

"They get me," she answered. "I never knew I was so fond of mountains."

"It's the mystery of them. You have the feeling that things are going on
in and about them that you don't know--that nobody'll ever know. I
remember the first time I climbed a big mountain--up in Colorado. When I
was about three-quarters of the way up I looked down on one of those
little mountain lakes--just as blue as that ring of yours--set in the
brown of the mountain. It made me feel as if I'd struck gold. I couldn't
believe that anybody but the Indians and I had ever seen that lake."

Scott was leaning against the post of the veranda, still looking at the
mountains. Suddenly he turned.

"Little girl, I think you'd better be going in and getting a few hours of
sleep," he said. "Four o'clock comes along awfully early in the morning."

Polly said nothing. She picked up the serape again and turned to go. Then
she came back again, holding out her hand.

"Mr. Scott, I haven't said a word to show that I'm grateful for what you
did to-night. You saved my life, didn't you?"

Scott took the hand and smiled down into the serious eyes.

"I wouldn't go that far," he said. "Those fellows who horned into our
fight did that, I reckon. I sure tried to, though, if you'd like to shake
hands on that."

"You risked your own life, anyhow, so please don't spoil my story."

"Well, put it that I'll be delighted to save your life any time you say,
even if I get my hide full of holes for doing it. How's that?"

"That's all right," agreed Polly, hear