him, but the mild humor of his smile brought confusion upon her.

"You don't lack conceit, whatever your other shortcomings," she managed,
her face rosy.

"Well now, I'm thankin' you, ma'am, for lettin' me off so easy," he said.
"I was expectin' you'd be pretty hard on me for talkin' that way. I've
been wonderin' what made me say it. I expect it's because I've been
thinkin' it so strong. Anyway, it's said, an' I can't take it back. I
wouldn't want to, for I was bound to tell you some time, anyway. I reckon
it ain't conceit that made me say it. I've liked you a heap ever since I
got hold of your picture."

"So that is where the picture went!" she said. "I have been hunting high
and low for it. Who gave it to you?"

"Wes Vickers, ma'am." There was disgust in his eyes. "I never meant to
mention it, ma'am; that was a slip of the tongue. But when I saw the
picture, I knowed I was goin' to love you. There ain't nothin' happened
yet to show that you won't think a lot of me, some day."

"You frighten me," she mocked.

"I reckon you ain't none frightened," he laughed. "But I expect you're
some disturbed--me sayin' what I've said while you're engaged to Masten.
I'm apologizing ma'am. You be loyal to Masten--as I know you'd be,
anyway. An' some day, when you've broke off with him, I'll come
a-courtin'."

"So you're sure that I'm going to break my engagement with Masten, are
you?" she queried, trying her best to be scornful, but not succeeding
very well. "How do you know that?"

"There's somethin' that you don't see that's been tellin' me, ma'am.
Mebbe some day that thing will be tellin' you the same stuff, an' then
you'll understand," he said enigmatically.

"Well," she said, pressing her lips together as though this were to be
her last word on the subject; "I have heard that the wilderness sometimes
makes people dream strange dreams, and I suppose yours is one of them."
She wheeled her pony and sent it scampering onward toward the ranchhouse.

He followed, light of heart, for while she had taunted him, she had also
listened to him, and he felt that progress had been made.

CHAPTER XI

HAGAR'S EYES

Randerson had been in no hurry to make an attempt to catch the rustlers
whose depredations he had reported to Ruth. He had told the men to be
doubly alert to their work, and he had hired two new men--from the
Diamond H--to replace those who had left th