shades of
exquisite purple.

Wade lingered, his senses predominating. This was one of those moments
that colored his lonely wanderings. Only to see was enough. He would
have shut out the encroaching thoughts of self, of others, of life, had
that been wholly possible. But here, after the first few moments of
exquisite riot of his senses, where fragrance of grass and blossom
filled the air, and blaze of gold canopied the purple, he began to think
how beautiful the earth was, how Nature hid her rarest gifts for those
who loved her most, how good it was to live, if only for these
blessings. And sadness crept into his meditations because all this
beauty was ephemeral, all the gold would soon be gone, and the asters,
so pale and pure and purple, would soon be like the glory of a dream
that had passed.

Yet still followed the saving thought that frost and winter must again
yield to sun, and spring, summer, autumn would return with the flowers
of their season, in that perennial birth so gracious and promising. The
aspen leaves would quiver and slowly gild, the grass would wave in the
wind, the asters would bloom, lifting star-pale faces to the sky. Next
autumn, and every year, and forever, as long as the sun warmed
the earth!

It was only man who would not always return to the haunts he loved.

CHAPTER XI

When Bent Wade desired opportunities they seemed to gravitate to him.

Upon riding into the yard of White Slides Ranch he espied Jack
Belllounds sitting in idle, moping posture on the porch. Something in
his dejected appearance roused Wade's pity. No one else was in sight, so
the hunter took advantage of the moment.

"Hey, Belllounds, will you give me a lift with this meat?" called Wade.

"Sure," replied Jack, readily enough, and he got up. Wade led the
pack-horse to the door of the store-cabin, which stood back of the
kitchen and was joined to it by a roof. There, with Jack's assistance,
he unloaded the meat and hung it up on pegs. This done, Wade set to work
with knife in hand.

"I reckon a little trimmin' will improve the looks of this carcass,"
observed Wade.

"Wade, we never had any one round except dad who could cut up a steer or
elk," said Jack. "But you've got him beat."

"I'm pretty handy at most things."

"Handy!... I wish I could do just one thing as well as you. I can ride,
but that's all. No one ever taught me anything."

"You're a young fellow yet, an' you've time, if you only take kindly to