a second the corners of her mouth twitched, her
chin quivered--then she raised it defiantly:

"To do what you set out to do--that's the great thing. Nothing else
matters."

She slammed the door behind her and untied her horse from the wagon
wheel.

"Come on, Cherokee, we'll go and see what that Nebraskan's doing."

The Nebraskan was standing on a hilltop when she first saw him, facing
the east and as motionless as the monument of stones beside him. His
sheep were nowhere visible.

As Kate rode closer the same glance that disclosed the band of sheep
showed her a coyote creeping down the side of a draw in which they were
feeding. She reached instantly for her carbine and drew it from its
scabbard, but she was not quick enough to shoot it before it had jumped
for the lamb it had been stalking. The coyote missed his prey, but the
lamb, which had been feeding a little apart from the others, ran into
the herd with a terrified bleat and the whole band fled on a common
impulse.

The coyote followed the lamb it had singled out, through all its
twistings and turnings, but maneuvering to work it to the outside
where it could cut the lamb away from the rest and pull it down at its
leisure.

Kate dared not shoot into the herd, and after a second's consideration
as to whether or not to follow, she thrust the rifle back in its
scabbard and turned her horse up the hill.

Even the sound of hoofs did not rouse the herder from his deep
absorption. His hands were hanging at his sides, and his mouth was
partially open. He was staring towards the east with unblinking eyes,
and with as little evidence of life as though he had died standing.

"What are you looking at, Davis?"

He whirled about, startled.

"I was calc'latin' that Nebrasky must lay 'bout in that direction." He
pointed to a pass in the mountains.

"A little homesick, aren't you?" Her voice was ominously quiet.

"Don't know whether I'm homesick or bilious; when I gits one I generally
gits the other."

"You were wondering just then what your wife was doing that minute,
weren't you?"

Her suavity deceived him and he grinned sheepishly.

"Somethin' like that, maybe."

"You are married, then?"

The herder began to see where he was drifting.

"Er--practically," he replied ambiguously.

"So you lied when you joined the Outfit and I asked you?"

The herder whined plaintively.

"I heerd you wouldn't hire no fambly man if you knew it."

"When I make a rule t