brought into it.
There are enemies of yours in this country to be feared, and it is
against these that I warn you. Good-night!"

"Surely you won't ride away without giving me a chance to thank you!"
exclaimed McCloud. Dicksie checked her horse. "I owe you a double debt
of gratitude," he added, "and I am anxious to assure you that we
desire nothing that will injure your interests in any way in crossing
your lands."

"I know nothing about those matters, because my cousin manages
everything. It is growing late and you have a good way to go, so
good-night."

"But you will allow me to ride back to the house with you?"

"Oh, no, indeed, thank you!"

"It will soon be dark and you are alone."

"No, no! I am quite safe and I have only a short ride. It is you who
have far to go," and she spoke again to Jim, who started briskly.

"Miss Dunning, won't you listen just a moment? Please don't run away!"
McCloud was trying to come up with her. "Won't you hear me a moment? I
have suffered some little humiliation to-day; I should really rather
be shot up than have more put on me. I am a man and you are a woman,
and it is already dark. Isn't it for me to see you safely to the
house? Won't you at least pretend I can act as an escort and let me go
with you? I should make a poor figure trying to catch you on
horseback----"

Dicksie nodded naively. "With that horse."

"With any horse--I know that," said McCloud, keeping at her side.

"But I _can't_ let you ride back with me," declared Dicksie, urging
Jim and looking directly at McCloud for the first time. "How could I
explain?"

"Let me explain. I am famous for explaining," urged McCloud, spurring
too.

"And will you tell me what _I_ should be doing while you were
explaining?" she asked.

"Perhaps getting ready a first aid for the injured."

"I feel as if I ought to run away," declared Dicksie, since she had
clearly decided not to. "It will have to be a compromise, I suppose.
You must not ride farther than the first gate, and let us take this
trail instead of the road. Now make your horse go as fast as you can
and I'll keep up."

But McCloud's horse, though not a wonder, went too fast to suit his
rider, who divided his efforts between checking him and keeping up the
conversation. When McCloud dismounted to open Dicksie's gate, and
stood in the twilight with his hat in his hand and his bridle over his
arm, he was telling a story about Marion Sinclair, and Dicksie in the
s