e and lifted the child
to the saddle. The animal arched her neck and turned her head and gazed
back at him curiously. "Hold on tight, Cunnel," he said as he looked up
at her, his face strangely softened almost beyond recognition. And she
gurgled and laughed and screamed with delight as he began to slowly lead
the mare along.

The "Colonel" had the gift of continuance. Some time elapsed before she
exhausted the joys of exaltation. More than once she absolutely refused
to dismount. Tobe patiently led the beast up and down, and the
"Colonel" rode in state. It was only when the sun had grown high,
and occasionally she was fain to lift her chubby hands to her eyes,
imperiling her safety on the saddle, that he ventured to seriously
remonstrate, and finally she permitted herself to be assisted to the
ground. When, with the little girl at his heels, he reached the porch,
he took off his hat, and wiped the perspiration from his brow with his
great brown hand.

"I tell ye, jouncin' round arter the Cunnel air powerful hot work," he
declared.

The next moment he paused. His wife had come to the door, and there was
a strange expression of alarm among the anxious lines of her face.

"Tobe," she said, in a bated voice, "who war them men?"

He stared at her, whirled about, surveyed the vacant landscape, and once
more turned dumfound-ed toward her. "What men?" he asked.

"Them men ez acted so cur'ous," she said. "I couldn't see thar faces
plain, an' I dunno who they war."

"Whar war they?" And he looked over his shoulder once more.

"Yander along the ledges of the big rock. Thar war two of 'em, hidin'
ahint that thar jagged aidge. An' ef yer back war turned they'd peep out
at ye an' the Cunnel ridin'. But whenst ye would face round agin, they'd
drap down ahint the aidge o' the rock. I 'lowed wunst ez I'd holler ter
ye, but I war feared ye moughtn't keer ter know." Her voice fell in its
deprecatory cadence.

He stodd in silent perplexity. "Ye air a fool, 'Genie, an' ye never seen
nuthin'. Nobody hev got enny call ter spy on me."

He stepped in-doors, took down his rifle from the rack, and went out
frowning into the sunlight.

The suggestion of mystery angered him. He had a vague sense of impending
danger. As he made his way along the slope toward the great beetling
crag all his faculties were on the alert. He saw naught unusual when he
stood upon its dark-seamed summit, and he went cautiously to the
verge and looked down at