at sheep
with the sore mouth, Bunch, till I look at it."

The sheep dodged and piled up in one end of the corral to the point of
suffocation, then around and around in a dizzy circle, with Kate and the
herders each intent on the particular sheep he was bent on catching.

In the midst of it a laugh, feminine, musical, amused, rang out above
the turmoil. Kate looked up quickly. Her swift glance showed her the
figure of a man and a girl leaning over the gate at the far end of that
division.

She frowned slightly.

"Bunch," curtly, "tell those people to stand back."

Bunch waved his hand and yelled bluntly:

"Git back furderer!"

Again the light feminine laugh reached Kate and her lips tightened as
she thought cynically:

"Dudes from the Scissor Ranch over to look at the freak woman
sheepherder."

Disston winced a little. Kate might misunderstand and take offense at
Beth Rathburn's laughter.

But Kate ignored, then forgot them, until Bowers, working at that end of
the corral, came back and jerked his thumb over his shoulder:

"That feller wants to speak to you."

Kate looked up impatiently, hesitated, wiped her face on the sleeve of
her forearm and walked over without great alacrity.

As she went forward Kate looked only at the girl, who, cool and dainty
in her sheer white muslin, her fair face reflecting the glow from the
pink silk lining of her parasol, small of stature and as exquisitely
feminine as a Dresden china shepherdess, was her direct antithesis.

Kate's divided skirt was bedraggled, a rent showed in the sleeve of her
blouse, her riding boots were shabby, and the fingers were out of her
worn gauntlets. Her hat was white with the dust of the corral, her hair
dishevelled and her face, still damp with perspiration, was grimy. But
somehow she managed to be picturesque and striking. Her clothes could
not hide the long beautiful curves of her tall figure and she carried
herself very erect, with something dignified and authoritative in her
manner, while her wide free gestures were the movements of independence
and self-reliance.

Disston looking at her eagerly and intently as she came closer noted
that the changes the years had made were chiefly in her expression. The
friendly candor of her eyes was replaced by a look that was coldly
speculative, and her lips that had smiled so readily now expressed
determination. Her whole bearing was indicative of concentration,
singleness of purpose and patience o