e house of Colonel Waller in Fort
Ryan.

CHAPTER XXXI

Love in The Saddle

"Here come Apollo and Psyche," said Mrs. Waller, as she glimpsed them
from the window. The Colonel was just leaving for his office and called
to them, "Good morning! Go on in; Mrs. Waller is at home. I'll be back
in half an hour."

Already there was a fire in the house, for the nights were chilly, and
when the Colonel returned, they were sitting around it in the parlour.

"I want to see the stable," said Belle, so forth they went together,
Hartigan with Mrs. Waller leading, and Belle with the Colonel. She
lingered till the others were out of easy hearing, then led up to the
subject of the horse race.

"It's a pretty sore subject yet," answered the Colonel. "Most of my men
are pinching their families on half pay to work off their debts to those
wily redskins."

"Do they have to pay?" said Belle.

"Well, these are debts of honour, you know, and in the man's code, that
puts them ahead of rent, clothing, food, or mortgages."

"I suppose the men have got a lesson that will cure them of gambling for
evermore?"

"Oh, no. Not at all. All they are thinking about now is where to get a
horse that can turn the tables."

"Seems to me like burning one's hand because one got a finger scorched."

"Well, that's the man of it," said the Colonel. "If we could get Jim to
run Blazing Star, the whole garrison would mortgage their lives for cash
to stake on it and win back all they had lost or risked."

"Well, he won't; I tell you that. But why don't you buy Blazing Star,
Colonel?"

"Because he won't sell. We've tried every way. I never saw a man so
daffy over his horse."

"What would you consider a fair price, Colonel?"

"Well, Jim gave five dollars for him, to begin with, and refused two
hundred and fifty dollars when he proved what stuff he had got. I should
say three hundred dollars would be a fair price, four hundred dollars a
good price and five hundred dollars an absolutely outside record
price--scaled wholly on the fact that he's the fastest horse on these
plains."

"Would _you_ give five hundred dollars?"

"Yes, I would. I'll give Hartigan five hundred dollars for Blazing Star
right now, in hard cash; but I don't say I'll hold it out very long.
Accidents will happen; winter is coming, and a bad wintering often ruins
a horse."

"Will you take the first chance to offer that to Hartigan? He'll refuse;
but say you'll leave it ope