rns returned
from Kansas, which was then a strange and far-off land, and from him
Harold drew vast streams of talk. The boy was insatiate when the plains
were under discussion. From this veritable cattleman he secured many new
words. With great joy he listened while Mr. Burns spoke of _cinches_,
ropes, corrals, _buttes_, _arroyos_ and other Spanish-Mexican words
which the boys had observed in their dime novels, but which they had
never before heard anyone use in common speech. Mr. Burns alluded to an
_aparejo_ or an _arroyo_ as casually as Jack would say "singletree" or
"furrow," and his stories brought the distant plains country very near.

Harold sought opportunity to say: "Mr. Burns, take me back with you; I
wish you would."

The cattleman looked at him. "Can you ride a horse?"

Jack spoke up: "You bet he can, Uncle. He rode in the races."

Burns smiled as a king might upon a young knight seeking an errant.

"Well, if your folks don't object, when you get done with school, and
Jack's mother says _he_ can come, you make a break for Abilene; we'll
see what I can do with you on the 'long trail.'"

Harold took this offer very seriously, much more so than Mr. Burns
intended he should do, although he was pleased with the boy.

Harold well knew that his father and mother would not consent, and very
naturally said nothing to them about his plan, but thereafter he laid by
every cent of money he could earn, until his thrift became a source of
comment. To Jack he talked for hours of the journey they were to make.
Jack, unimaginative and engrossed with his studies at the seminary, took
the whole matter very calmly. It seemed a long way off at best, and his
studies were pleasant and needed his whole mind. Harold was thrown back
upon the company of his sweetheart, who was the only one else to whom he
could talk freely.

Dot, indolent, smiling creature of cozy corners that she was, listened
without emotion, while Harold, with eyes ablaze, with visions of the
great, splendid plains, said: "I'm going West sure. I'm tired of school;
I'm going to Kansas, and I'm going to be a great cattle king in a few
years, Dot, and then I'll come back and get you, and we'll go live on
the banks of a big river, and we'll have plenty of horses, and go riding
and hunting antelope every day. How will you like that?"

Her unresponsiveness hurt him, and he said: "You don't seem to care
whether I go or not."

She turned and looked at him vacantl