If your father does give it
away--well, then we'll play our hunch and try to beat her to it.'

But though they had been out so brief a time, already Sanchia met them
at the door. Her eyes were on fire; her slight body seemed to dilate
with a joy swelling in her heart; she looked the embodiment of all that
was triumphant. Behind her, rubbing his two hands together, and
looking like a wilful and victorious child, was Longstreet. Sanchia
ran by them. In her hands, tight-clutched, was the finest specimen.

'You haven't told her, papa! Oh, you haven't told her!'

'And what if I have?' he snapped. 'Am I not a man grown that I am not
to----'

Again no time for more than a broken sentence.

'Will you tell us?' demanded Howard.

'In due time,' came the cool rejoinder. 'When I am ready. I should
have told you to-night, had you trusted to me. Now I shall not tell
you a word about it until to-morrow.'

They knew that Sanchia was going for her horse. Here was no time for
one to allow his way to be cluttered up with trifles. Howard turned
and ran to his own horse. They lost sight of him in the dark; they
heard pounding hoofs as he raced after Sanchia and by her; they heard
her scream out angrily at him as she was the first to grasp his
purpose. And presently at the cabin door was Howard again, calling to
Helen. She ran out. He was mounted and led two horses, her own and
Sanchia's white mare.

'Hurry!' he called. 'We'll play my hunch and beat her to it yet.'

Helen understood and scrambled wildly into her own saddle. She heard
Sanchia calling; she could even hear the woman running back toward
them. Then her horse jumped under her, she clutched at the horn of her
saddle to save herself from falling, and she and Howard were racing up
trail, Sanchia's mare led after them, Sanchia's voice screaming behind
them.

They skirted the base of the cliffs for half a mile. Then Howard
turned Sanchia's horse loose, driving the animal down into a dark
ravine where there would be no finding it in the night-time.

'It's only a chance,' he said, 'but then that's better than just
sitting and sucking our thumbs. We take the up-trail here.'

They came out upon the tablelands above Bear Valley. There was better
light here; the trail was less narrow and steep; they could look down
and see the light in the cabin.

Later they were to know just what had been Sanchia Murray's quick reply
to their move. And then they wer