f that--thought it all out, watchin' the birds an'
animals mate in the woods.... If I have no son I'll never live
hereafter."

"Wal," replied Roy, hesitatingly, "I don't go in so deep as thet. I mean
a son goes on with your blood an' your work."

"Exactly... An', Roy, I envy you what you ve got, because it's out of
all bounds for Milt Dale."

Those words, sad and deep, ended the conversation. Again the rumbling,
rushing stream dominated the forest. An owl hooted dismally. A horse
trod thuddingly near by and from that direction came a cutting tear of
teeth on grass.

A voice pierced Helen's deep dreams and, awaking, she found Bo shaking
and calling her.

"Are you dead?" came the gay voice.

"Almost. Oh, my back's broken," replied Helen. The desire to move seemed
clamped in a vise, and even if that came she believed the effort would
be impossible.

"Roy called us," said Bo. "He said hurry. I thought I'd die just sitting
up, and I'd give you a million dollars to lace my boots. Wait, sister,
till you try to pull on one of those stiff boots!"

With heroic and violent spirit Helen sat up to find that in the act
her aches and pains appeared beyond number. Reaching for her boots,
she found them cold and stiff. Helen unlaced one and, opening it wide,
essayed to get her sore foot down into it. But her foot appeared swollen
and the boot appeared shrunken. She could not get it half on, though
she expended what little strength seemed left in her aching arms. She
groaned.

Bo laughed wickedly. Her hair was tousled, her eyes dancing, her cheeks
red.

"Be game!" she said. "Stand up like a real Western girl and PULL your
boot on."

Whether Bo's scorn or advice made the task easier did not occur to
Helen, but the fact was that she got into her boots. Walking and
moving a little appeared to loosen the stiff joints and ease that tired
feeling. The water of the stream where the girls washed was colder than
any ice Helen had ever felt. It almost paralyzed her hands. Bo mumbled,
and blew like a porpoise. They had to run to the fire before being able
to comb their hair. The air was wonderfully keen. The dawn was clear,
bright, with a red glow in the east where the sun was about to rise.

"All ready, girls," called Roy. "Reckon you can help yourselves. Milt
ain't comin' in very fast with the hosses. I'll rustle off to help him.
We've got a hard day before us. Yesterday wasn't nowhere to what to-day
'll be."

"But the sun's