atient quickly swept
him out of danger. Soon he was hobbling round with a cane, and shortly
after was able to take long rides over the country with his friend.

On one of these occasions, while they were climbing a hill trail, Davis
broke a long silence to say aloud to himself: "There's just one way to
account for it."

"Then it can't be a woman you're thinking of," Dick laughed; "for as far
as I can make out there's always several ways to account for them, and
the one you guess usually ain't right."

"You've said it, son. It's a woman. I been doing some inquiring about
this Miss Valdes, and from all telling she's the prettiest ever."

"I could have told you that. It ain't a secret."

"I notice you didn't tell me."

"You didn't ask, you old geezer."

"Sho! You ain't such a clam when it comes to pretty girls. You didn't
talk about her, because your haid's been full of her. It don't take a
mind-reader to know that."

"You're ce'tainly a wizard, Steve," came back his partner dryly.

"I know you and your little ways by this time."

"So I'm in love, am I?"

"You're there, or traveling there mighty fast. Course I don't know about
the lady."

"What don't you know about her?" asked Dick, who was by way of being
both amused and pleased that the subject had been broached.

"How she feels about the proposition. She had you kicked out of the
house. That looks kinder as if your show was slim. She did send over
right often to see how you was getting along, but I reckon she didn't
want to feel responsible for your turning up your toes. Women are that
way, even when they hate a man real thorough."

"You're quite an expert. I wonder you know so much about them, and you
never married."

To this sarcastic reminder Steve made philosophic reply. "Mebbe it was
because I knew so much about them I never married."

"You're surely a wise old rooster. You think she hates me, then?"

Davis covered a grin. He knew from his friend's tone that the barb had
pierced the skin.

"Well, looking at it like a reasonable man, there ain't any question
about it. Soon as you begin to mend she quits taking any interest in
you; don't know you're on the earth any more. A reasonable man----"

"A reasonable goat!" Dick reined up till the other horse was abreast of
his, then dived into his pocket and handed Steve a letter. "She's quit
taking any interest in me, has she? Don't know I'm on the earth, you old
owl? Looks like it, and her sending m