than an indefinite waiting. He saw that
Sanchia still sat upon her white mare where he had left her, that her
head was bent, and she seemed to be in a profound study. Now and then
he heard Helen; she appeared to be re-arranging their scant
furnishings. Ten minutes passed. He called softly:

'Aren't you coming out, Helen?'

'Presently.' By now Helen had commanded and subdued her agitation
entirely to her own satisfaction. 'I know it seems rude, but I simply
_must_ get a few things done.'

'What sort of things? Can't I help you?'

'Help?' She laughed. 'Men are such funny animals when it is a matter
of helping indoors.

Sanchia had just said men were such fools. Well, come right down to
it, he was rather inclined to accept the statement as largely true.
And women were so utterly beyond comprehension.

'Anyway, can't I just come in and watch you?'

He wondered why she should seem so highly amused.

'In this little house you always seem about seven feet tall,' she
laughed at him. 'You'd be terribly in my way. And you haven't waited
half a day yet, let alone all night.'

He saw that Sanchia had suddenly lifted her head and had jerked her
horse about in the trail. But she was not riding this way. She had
turned toward the cliffs and was waving her hand. Then he saw
Longstreet, grotesque in the various bits of Western accoutrement which
he had incorporated into his wardrobe, humorously militant as to
swinging revolver, miner's pick in hand, high-booted and red-shirted.

'Your father is coming,' he offered. 'That Murray woman is going to
meet him.'

Helen had paused in her activities. But he could not guess how her
expression had changed. 'That Murray woman,' as he spoke the words,
did sound convincing. Still she did not come out. She knew that it
would be a full ten minutes before Longstreet would make his way down
the steep slope and come to the cabin. She resumed her occupation and
remembered to accompany it with her tantalizing bit of song. Howard
began to hate that air whole-heartedly.

The longest day has its end, the longest ten minutes fall something
short of an eternity. At length, walking side by side, leading the
white mare and chatting gaily, Longstreet and Sanchia approached the
house. Longstreet saw Howard and put out a friendly hand.

'Glad to see you, my boy,' he called warmly. 'Helen and I have talked
of you every day; we've missed you like the very mischief. Where is
H