eastern sky the wind
died down as suddenly as it had risen, and the snow ceased falling.

Ted had fallen into a doze in a chair in front of the fire, but a stray
sunbeam coming through a window fell upon his closed eyelids, and he
awoke with a start. For a minute he could not think where he was. Then
the cheery voice of Stella fell upon his ears. Somewhere in the distance
she was singing, and he sprang to his feet and looked about him.

It came to him that he was at the Long Tom, and he remembered having
left the Circle S herd out in the blizzard.

This stirred him to action, and he went back to the kitchen with the
intention of lighting the fire and getting breakfast.

He stopped in the doorway in astonishment. Stella, with her sleeves
rolled to the elbows, was busily engaged at the stove, singing as she
worked.

"Good morning," said Ted. "You beat me to it. Why didn't you wake me up
and put me to work?"

"Hello!" said Stella cheerily. "You looked so tired sitting in that
chair that I thought I'd let you sleep. At any rate, cooking breakfast
is no work for a boy in a house. Get ready. Breakfast will be on the
table in a minute. What do you think I found in the shed behind the
house? A mountain sheep already dressed, and hung up for us. The fellow
who left this house for us certainly was a good one. He knew we'd come
in hungry, and left everything ready for us."

"That was just like Fred Sturgis. He's one of the best fellows in the
world. He's the owner of the ranch. Young New York fellow. Wanted to
spend the winter in the East. That's how I was able to get the ranch.
But I'll bet he'll be back here before the snow melts. You couldn't keep
him off the range for any length of time."

"He certainly has good taste. The house is almost as nice as the Moon
Valley house, but nothing is quite as nice as that."

Mrs. Graham and Carl were roused, and they were soon sitting down to
chops from a mountain sheep and corn bread which Stella had made; and
they all voted that winter life in Montana promised to be a very jolly
thing.

When Ted went outdoors the whole world was simply a glittering waste
where the sun shone on, and was reflected back from the vast field of
snow.

Sultan was in the sheltered corral, and as Ted threw the saddle on his
back he reared and jumped about like a playful kitten.

"Quit your cavorting about, you rascal," said Ted, as Sultan wheeled
away from the saddle with a playful snort, at the s