used to that, and strode along briskly until he
reached the open space which divided the little wooden town from the
unfenced railroad track. It was strewn with fine dusty snow, and the
huge bulk of the grain elevators towered high above it against the
lowering sky. As it happened, a freight locomotive was just hauling a
long string of wheat cars out of a side-track amidst a discordant
tolling of its bell. It stopped presently, and though Hawtrey could
not see anything beyond the big cars he fancied by the shouts which
broke out that something unusual was going on. He was expecting Sally,
who was going East to Brandon by a train due in an hour or two.

When the shouts grew a little louder he walked round in front of the
locomotive which stood still with the steam blowing noisily from a
valve, and as soon as he had done so he saw the cause of the commotion.
A pair of vicious, half-broken bronchos were backing a light waggon
away from the locomotive on the other side of the track, and a
fur-wrapped figure sat stiffly on the driving seat. Hawtrey called out
and ran suddenly forward as he saw that it was Sally.

Just then one of the horses lifted its fore hoofs off the ground, and
being jerked back by the pole plunged and kicked furiously, until its
companion flung up its head and the waggon went backwards with a run.
Then they stopped, and there was a further series of resounding crashes
against the front of the vehicle. Hawtrey was within a pace or two of
it when Sally recognised him.

"Keep off," she said, "you can't lead them. They don't want to cross
the track, but they've got to if I pull the jaws off them."

This was more forcible than elegant, and the shrill harshness of the
girl's voice jarred upon Hawtrey, though he was getting accustomed to
Sally's phraseology. He, however, recognised that she would not have
his help, even if it would have been of much avail, which was doubtful,
and he reluctantly moved back towards the group of loungers who were
watching her.

"I guess you've no call to worry about her," said one of them. "She's
holding them on the lowest notch, and it's a mighty powerful bit
fixing. Besides, that girl could drive anything that goes on four
legs."

"Sure," said one of the others. "She's a daisy."

Hawtrey was a little annoyed to notice that in place of being
embarrassed by it Sally evidently rather enjoyed the situation, though
several of the freight train and station hands h