n spite of her bad blood the girl is surprisingly true
and sweet. She makes me wonder whether there is as much in heredity as we
think."

"Her blood ain't so bad. Wetherford was a fool and a daredevil, but he
came of good Virginia stock--so I've heard."

"Well, whatever was good in both sire and dame this girl seems to have
mysteriously gathered to herself."

The old man looked at him with a bright sidelong glance. "You are a little
sweet on the girl, eh?"

Ross began to regret his confidence. "She's making a good fight, and I
feel like helping her."

"And she rather likes being helped by you. I could see that when she
brought the coffee to you. She likes to stand close--"

Ross cut him short. "We'll not discuss her any further."

"I don't mean any harm, Mr. Ranger; we hobos have a whole lot of time to
gossip, and I'm old enough to like a nice girl in a fatherly way. I reckon
the whole valley rides in to see her, just the way you do."

Cavanagh winced. "You can't very well hide a handsome woman in a cattle
country."

Edwards smiled again, sadly. "Not in my day you couldn't. Why, a girl like
that would 'a' been worth a thousand head o' steers. I've seen a man come
in with a span of mules and three ordinary female daughters, and without
cinching a saddle to a pony accumulate five thousand cattle." Then he grew
grave again. "Don't happen to have a picture of the girl, do you?"

"If I did, would I show it to you?"

"You might. You might even give it to me."

Cavanagh looked at the man as if he were dreaming. "You must be crazy."

"Oh no, I'm not. Sheep-herders do go twisted, but I'm not in the business
long enough for that. I'm just a bit nutty about that girl."

He paused a moment. "So if you have a picture, I wish you'd show it to
me."

"I haven't any."

"Is that right?"

"That's right. I've only seen her two or three times, and she isn't the
kind that distributes her favors."

"So it seems. And yet you're just the kind of figure to catch a girl's
eye. She likes you--I could see that, but you've got a good opinion of
yourself. You're an educated man--do you intend to marry her?"

"See here, Mr. Sheep-herder, you better ride on up to your camp," and Ross
turned to mount his horse.

"Wait a minute," called the other man, and his voice surprised the ranger
with a note of authority. "I was terribly taken with that girl, and I owe
you a whole lot; but I've got to know one thing. I can see you're full o