ilence followed the words--a silence broken a moment
later by the sound of Janet, sobbing softly against her father's
shoulder--and by the big Scotchman's rumbling words: "Theer, theer, wee
lassie--theer, theer."

AN EPILOGUE

The ceremony that took place the following afternoon in the McWhorter
cabin was impressive in its extreme simplicity.

At the conclusion of the wedding feast, McWhorter arose, passed into his
own room, and returned a moment later with a bottle of wine, which he
held to the sunlight: "'Tis auld," he said, reverently, "an' of famous
vintage. Its mate was drunk years ago at my ain' weddin' in Sco'lan'. I
ha' saved this--for _hers_." Very carefully he broke the seal, and
withdrew the cork, and poured a little of the precious liquid into each
thick glass: "We will drink," he said, solemnly, "to the health an'
prosperity of--my children!" They drank, and the old Scotchman divided
the remaining wine as before. "An' now, Meester Endicott can ye not
propose us a toast?"

Endicott rose and allowed his eyes to travel slowly over the upturned
faces about him. He began to speak: "Here we are--we and our women--a
cattleman, and a sheep-man; a minister of the gospel, and a horse-thief;
an ex-bartender, a half-breed, and a Harvard man who until a year ago
was of the strictest and most hide-hound sect of the New
Englanders--and as Cass Grimshaw so aptly phrased it yesterday--'We are
all friends together.' Let us drink--to the wonderful free-masonry of
the cow-country!"

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