lace of the
old Crystal and which was proving a huge success.

"Can't draw her dry," said Bent Smith, "pulled all of three hours with
Nick Bob an' Blue Pine yesterday an' never even riled her.

"She's good as th' Gold Pool or th' Silver Hollow now."

"You're some range man t' make any such a comparison," said Curly with
conviction, "there ain't no artificial water-well extent that can hold
a candle t' th' real livin' springs of a cattle country, when they're
such bubblin', shinin' beauties as th' Springs of Last's."

"You're right, Curly," said Tharon quietly from under the light,
"there's nothin' like them. They must be th' blessin's of God, an' no
mistake. They're th' stars at night, an' th' winds an' th' sunshine.
They're th' lovers of th' horses, th' treasure of th' masters. I love
my springs."

"So do th' herds," put in Jack Masters. "They'll come fast at night
now because they can smell th' water far off, an' it's gettin' pretty
dry on th' range."

"Yes," sighed Tharon, "it's summer now, an' Jim Last died in spring. A
whole season gone."

A whole season had gone, indeed, since that tragic night.

Last's Holding had missed its master at each turn and point. A
thousand times did Conford, the foreman, catch himself in the act of
going to the big room to find him at his desk, a big, vital force,
intent on the accounts of the ranch, a thousand times did he long for
his keen insight. The _vaqueros_ missed him and his open hand.

The very dogs at the steps missed him, and so did El Rey, waiting in
his corral for the step that did not come, the strong hand on his
bit.

And how much his daughter missed him only the stars and the pale
Virgin knew.

For the next few days following the short, awkward visit of the
stranger Tharon felt a prickle of uneasiness under her skin at every
thought of it. There was something in the memory that confused and
distressed her, a feeling of failure, of a lack in her that put her in
a bad light to herself.

She knew that, instinctively, she had been protecting her own, that
since Last's had stepped out in the light against Courtrey she must
take no chance. But should she have taken back the common courtesy of
the offered meal? Would it not have been better to let him stay and
meet Conford who would have been in at noon?

She vexed herself a while with these questions, and then dismissed
them with her cool good sense.

"It's done," she told herself, "an' can't be helped. An'