quietly.

"It's a good deal more wholesome here in several ways," said he. "If
you're wise, you'll let up on card playing and hanging around the
settlement, Ferris, and stick to farming. Even if you lose almost as
many dollars over it, it will pay you considerably better. Now, that's
all I'm going to tell you, but I know what I'm speaking of, because
I've had my fling--and it's costing me more than I care to figure out
still. You, however, can pull up, because by this time you have no
doubt found out a good deal, if you're not all a fool. Curiosity's at
the bottom of half our youthful follies, isn't it, Courthorne? We want
to know what the things forbidden actually taste like."

"Well," said Winston dryly, "I don't quite know. You see, I had very
little money in the old country and still less leisure here to spend
either on that kind of experimenting. Where to get enough to eat was
the one problem that worried me."

Dane turned a trifle sharply. "We are, I fancy, tolerably good
friends. Isn't it a little unnecessary for you to adopt that tone with
me?"

Winston laughed, but made no answer, and their companion said nothing
at all. Either the night wind had a drowsy effect on him, or he was
moodily resentful, for it was not until Winston pulled up before the
homestead whose lands he farmed indifferently under Barrington's
supervision, that he opened his mouth.

"You have got off very cheaply to-night, and if you're wise you'll let
that kind of thing alone in future," said Winston quietly.

The lad stepped down from the wagon and then stood still. "I resent
advice from you as much as I do your--uncalled for insolence an hour or
two ago," he said. "To lie low until honest men got used to him would
be considerably more becoming to a man like you."

"Well," said Winston, stung into forgetfulness, "I'm not going to
offend in that fashion again, and you can go to the devil in the way
that most pleases you. In fact, I only pulled you out of the pit
to-night because a lady, who apparently takes a quite unwarranted
interest in you, asked me to."

Ferris stared up at him, and his face showed almost livid through the
luminous night.

"She asked you to!" he said. "By the Lord, I'll make you sorry for
this."

Winston said nothing, but shook the reins, and when the wagon lurched
forward Dane looked at him.

"I didn't know that before," he said.

"Well," said Winston dryly, "if I hadn't lost my temper with