fire, said:
"This sure beats a holler log, but all the same I'll be glad to see the
time when I can camp on my saddle again."

Mary only smiled and patted him like a mother caressing a babe. "I'll
hate to have you go and leave me--now."

"No danger of that, Mary. We camp down on the same blanket from this
on."

Mr. Excell came on to marry them, but Jack sent his best wishes by mail;
he could not quite bring himself to see Mary give herself away--even to
his hero.

Mrs. Raimon took her defeat with most touching grace. "You're right,"
she said. "He's yours--I know that perfectly well, but you must let me
help him to make a start. It won't hurt him, and it'll please me. I have
a ranch, I have mines, I could give him something to do till he got on
his feet again, if you'd let me, and I hope you won't deny me a pleasure
that will carry no obligation with it."

She was powerfully moved as she went in to say good-by to him. He was
sitting in a chair, but looked very pale and weak. She said: "Mose,
you're in luck; you've got a woman who'll do you good. She's loyal and
she's strong, and there's nothing further for me to do--unless you let
me help you. See here, why not let me help you get a start; what do you
say?"

Harold felt the deep sincerity of the woman's regard and he said simply:

"All right; let me know what you find, and I'll talk it over with Mary."

She seized his thin hand in both hers and pressed it hard, the tears
creeping down her cheeks. "You're a good boy, Mose; you're the kind that
are good to women in ways they don't like, sometimes. I hope you'll
forget the worst of me and remember only the best. I don't think she
knows anything about me; if she hears anything, tell her the truth, but
say I was better than women think."

One day about ten days later a bulky letter came, addressed to "Mose
Excell." It was from Mrs. Raimon, but contained a letter from Reynolds,
who wrote:

"Yesterday a young Cheyenne came ridin' in here inquirin' for
you. I told him you was in Chicago, sick. He brought a
message from old Talfeather who is gettin' scared about the
cattlemen. He says they're crowdin' onto his reservation, and
he wants you to come and help him. He wants you to talk with
them and to go to Washington and see the Great Father. He
sent this medicine and said it was to draw you to him. He
said he was blind and his heart was heavy because he feared
trouble. I went up t