to the
wagon. We've got to get started pretty pronto."

They were all ready to start when an orderly dashed up on horseback, and
handed Hallie a letter, saluted, and rode off.

The girl tore open the envelope, and read its contents.

"What shall I do?" she asked, handing the letter to Ted.

Ted's eyes ran over it rapidly.

"Forget it," he answered, crumpling the note in his hand and throwing it
away.

CHAPTER XXIX.

RUNNING BEAR'S SQUAW.

As they rode away to join the herd, which had been moving slowly
northward, Hallie and Stella rode together, and Hallie was telling her
friend what she felt, and what she thought about her break with
Lieutenant Barrows.

"That note was the most impertinent thing I ever read," Hallie was
saying.

"What was it all about? Ted did not think it was of much importance,"
said Stella.

"And yet it was all about him."

"You don't say so. What was it?"

Stella was not very curious about the letter, for she was too free and
independent to care what an enemy said of her or her friends. She had
that intense loyalty of character that put tried and chosen friends
before all the world, and she believed and stuck to her friends through
all and above all. But this was a characteristic of all the broncho
boys.

She didn't believe that anything any one could write about Ted Strong
could hurt him, at least it could not with her.

"It forbade me going with you on this trip, and said some awful things
about Mr. Strong," said Hallie.

"Is that all?"

"It said that Ted was a scoundrel, and that he felt it his duty to
expose him, and that, moreover, Ted had declared himself his enemy, and
he was going to get the bitterest sort of revenge for the insult Ted had
offered him. And--and a lot more."

"If he wanted revenge, why didn't he take it while he had the chance?
Anyway, Ted doesn't seem to be very much afraid, so I'm not going to
worry."

Ted realized that he had made a bitter and dangerous enemy.

Barrows would be dangerous because he would not fight in the open, but
would stab him in the back. The way in which he had taken the slap on
the face proved that he was an open coward, but secretly was brave
enough in his blows. The shot fired by him at the beef issue was proof
enough for that.

But Ted, while he determined to keep his eyes open, was not borrowing
trouble, and soon put Barrows and his enmity out of his mind.

They caught up with the herd in the middle of the