balanced Linder felt a slight leap in the blood at the unusual
name, which to him suggested the bright girl who had come into his life
the night before. Not exactly into his life; it would be fairer to say
she had touched the rim of his life. Perhaps she would never penetrate
it further; Linder rather expected that would be the case. As
for Drazk--she was in no danger from him. Drazk's methods were so
precipitous that they could be counted upon to defeat themselves.

Below stretched the valley of the South Y.D., almost a duplicate of its
northern neighbor. The stream hugged the feet of the hills on the north
side of the valley; its ribbon of green and gold was like a fringe
gathered about the hem of their skirts. Beyond the stream lay the level
plains of the valley, and miles to the south rose the next ridge of
foothills. It was from these interlying plains that Y.D. expected his
thousand tons of hay. There is no sleugh hay in the foothill country;
the hay is cut on the uplands, a short, fine grass of great nutritive
value. This grass, if uncut, cures in its natural state, and affords
sustenance to the herds which graze over it all winter long. But it
occasionally happens that after a snow-fall the Chinook wind will
partially melt the snow, and then a sudden drop in the temperature
leaves the prairies and foothills covered with a thin coating of ice.
It is this ice covering, rather than heavy snow-fall or severe weather,
which is the principal menace to winter grazing, and the foresighted
rancher aims to protect himself and his stock from such a contingency by
having a good reserve of hay in stack.

Here, then, was the valley in which Y.D. hoped to supplement the crop of
his own hay lands. Linder's appreciative eye took in the scene: a scene
of stupendous sizes and magnificent distances. As he slowly turned his
vision down the valley a speck in the distance caught his sight and
brought him to his feet. Shading his eyes from the bright afternoon sun
he surveyed it long and carefully. There was no doubt about it: a haying
outfit was already at work down the valley.

Leaving his team to manage themselves Linder dropped from his wagon and
joined Transley. "Some one has beat us to it," he remarked.

"So I observed," said Transley. "Well, it's a big valley, and if they're
satisfied to stay where they are there should be enough for both. If
they're not--"

"If they're not, what?" demanded Linder.

"You heard what Y.D. sa