ations. To a man of
Iredale's disposition the two things were quite incompatible. The
steady growth of his love for this girl, a love which absorbed all
that was best in his deep, strong nature, had weighed heavily in the
balance; and, reluctant though the master of Lonely Ranch was to sever
himself from the traffic which had afforded him so much wealth, and so
many years of real, living moments, his decision had been taken with
calm deliberation; the fiat had gone forth. Henceforth the traffic in
yellow would know him no more.

He rose from his seat, and crossing the room stood gazing out of the
open window. Finally his eyes were turned up towards the heavy banking
of storm-clouds which hovered low over the valley.

Already the greater portion of his plans had been carefully laid. They
had been costly for many reasons. His agents were men who required to
be dealt with liberally. However, everything had been satisfactorily
settled. Now only remained the disposal of the ranch. This was rather
a delicate matter for obvious reasons. He wished to effectually
obliterate all traces of the traffic he had carried on there.

He went back to the table and picked up an official-looking letter. It
was a communication from Robb Chillingwood, written on the municipal
notepaper of Ainsley.

He read the letter carefully through.

"MY DEAR MR. IREDALE,"

"There is a man named Gordon Duffield stopping at the hotel here,
who has lately arrived from Scotland. I have effected the sale of
the Dominion Ranch--you know, the German, Grieg's, old place--to
him. He is a man of considerable means, and is going in largely
for stock-raising. He has commissioned me to buy something like
five thousand head of cows and two-year-old steers for him. His
bulls he brought out with him. You will understand the difficulty
I shall have in obtaining such a bunch of suitable animals; and I
thought you might have some surplus stock that you wish to dispose
of at a reasonable price. You might let me know by return if such
is the case, always bearing in mind when you make your quotations
that the gentleman hails from old Scotia. There is shortly to be a
great boom in emigration from both the old country and the States,
and I am now combining the business of land agent with my other
duties, and I find it a paying concern. Let me know about the
cattle at your earliest convenience.

"Yo