d his hat had fallen off,--and a strong voice,
albeit a little husky, whispered in his ear,--

"Easy, boy! easy on the down grade. It'll be all one in a minit."

Jeff tried to comprehend him, but his brain was whirling.

"Pull yourself together, Jeff!" said Bill, after a pause. "Thar! Look
yar!" he said suddenly. "Do you think you can drive SIX?"

The words recalled Jeff to his senses. Bill laid the six reins in his
hands. A sense of life, of activity, of POWER, came back to the young
man, as his fingers closed deliciously on the far-reaching, thrilling,
living leathern sinews that controlled the six horses, and seemed to
be instinct and magnetic with their bounding life. Jeff, leaning back
against them, felt the strong youthful tide rush back to his heart, and
was himself again. Bill, meantime, took the lamp, examined the papers,
and read Miss Mayfield's note. A grim smile stole over his face. After
a pause, he said again, "Give Blue Grass her head, Jeff. D--n it, she
ain't Miss Mayfield!"

Jeff relaxed the muscles of his wrists, so as to throw the thumb and
forefingers a trifle forward. This simple action relieved Blue Grass,
alias Miss Mayfield, and made the coach steadier and less jerky.
Wonderful co-relation of forces.

"Thar!" said Yuba Bill, quietly putting the coach lamp back in its
place; "you're better already. Thar's nothing like six horses to draw a
woman out of a man. I've knowed a case where it took eight mustangs, but
it was a mulatter from New Orleans, and they are pizen! Ye might hit
up a little on the Pinto hoss--he ain't harmin' ye. So! Now, Jeff, take
your time, and take it easy, and what's all this yer about?"

To control six fiery mustangs, and at the same time give picturesque and
affecting exposition of the subtle struggles of Love and Pride, was a
performance beyond Jeff's powers. He had recourse to an angry staccato,
which somehow seemed to him as ineffective as his previous discourse
to Miss Mayfield; he was a little incoherent, and perhaps mixed his
impressions with his facts, but he nevertheless managed to convey to
Bill some general idea of the events of the past three days.

"And she sent ye off after that letter, that wasn't thar, while she
fixed things up with Dodd?"

"Yes," said Jeff furiously.

"Ye needn't bully the Pinto colt, Jeff; he is doin' his level best. And
she snaked that ar ten dollars outer Dodd?"

"Yes; and sent it back to ME. To ME, Bill! At such a time as this