h
the genial Cheyenne could hardly appreciate.

In other words, Bartley, whose aim was to isolate himself from
convention, was unconsciously hungry for the very conventions he thought
he was fleeing from. And in a measure, Dorothy Gray represented the life
he had left behind. Had she been a boy, Bartley would have enjoyed
talking with her--or him; but she was a girl, and, concluded Bartley,
just the type of girl for the heroine of a Western romance. Bartley's
egoism would not allow him to admit that their tentative friendship
could become anything more than friendship. And it was upon that
understanding with himself that he saddled up, next morning,--why the
hurry, with a week to spend in San Andreas,--and set out for the
Lawrence ranch, to call on Aunt Jane.

Purposely he timed his arrival to follow the dinner hour--dinner was at
noon in the ranch country--and was mildly lectured by Aunt Jane for not
arriving earlier. Uncle Frank was at the lower end of the ranch,
superintending the irrigating. Little Jim was on the veranda, needlessly
cleaning his new rifle, preparatory to a rabbit hunt that afternoon.
Bartley was at once invited to participate in the hunt, and he could
think of no reason to decline. Dorothy, however, was not at the ranch.

Little Jim scrubbed his rifle with an oily rag, and scowled. "Got both
hosses saddled, and lots of ca'tridges--and Dorry ain't here yet! She
promised to be here right after dinner."

"Was Miss Dorry going with you?"

Jimmy nodded. "You bet! She's goin' to take my old twenty-two. It's only
a single-shot," added Jimmy scornfully. "But it's good enough for a
girl."

"Isn't it early to hunt rabbits?" queried Bartley.

"Sure! But we got to get there, clear over to the flats. If Dorry don't
come as soon as I get this gun cleaned, I'm goin' anyhow."

But Dorothy appeared before Jimmy could carry out his threat of leaving
without her. Jimmy, mounted on his pony, fretted to be gone, while
Dorothy chatted a minute or so with Aunt Jane and Bartley. Finally they
rode off, with Jimmy in the lead, explaining that there would be no
rabbits on the flat until at least five o'clock, and in the meantime
they would ride over to the spring and pretend they were starving. That
is, Dorothy and Bartley were to pretend they were starving, while Jimmy
scouted for meat and incidentally shot a couple of Indians and returned
with a noble buck deer hanging across the saddle.

It was hot and they rode