always in my heart, recognized a moral claim you have.
Besides, the case isn't finished yet. Perhaps your father may win his
contest. I'm all for settling out of court."

"You know we won't win."

"I don't."

She gave him applause from her dark eyes. "That's very fair of you, but
Dad and I can't do it."

"Then you still have a grudge at me," he smiled.

"Not the least little bit of a one."

"I shan't take no for an answer, then. I'll order the papers made out
whether you want me to or not." Without giving her a chance to speak, he
passed to another topic: "I've decided to go out of the sheep business."

"I'm so glad!" she cried.

"Those aren't my feelings," he answered ruefully. "I hate to quit under
fire."

"Of course you do, but your friends will know why you do it."

"Why do I do it?"

"Because you know it's right. The cattlemen had the range first. Their
living is tied up in cattle, and your sheep are ruining the feed for them.
Yesterday when I was out riding I counted the bones of eight dead cows."

He nodded gravely. "Yes, in this country sheep are death to cows. I hate
to be a quitter, but I hate worse to take the bread out of the mouths of a
dozen families. Two days ago I had an offer for my whole bunch, and
to-morrow I'm going to take the first instalment over the pass and drive
them down to the railroad."

"But you'll have to cross the dead line to get over the pass," she said
quickly; for all Cattleland knew that a guard had been watching his herds
to see they did not cross the pass.

"Yes. I'm going to send Alan with a letter to Farnum. I don't think there
will be any opposition to my crossing it when my object is understood," he
smiled.

Melissy watched him ride away, strong and rugged and ungraceful, from the
head to the heel of him a man. Life had gone hard with him. She wondered
whether that were the reason her heart went out to him so warmly.

As she moved about her work that day and the next little snatches of song
broke from her, bubbling forth like laughter, born of the quiet happiness
within, for which she could give no reason.

After the stage had gone she saddled her pony and rode toward the head of
the pass. In an hour or two now the sheep would be pouring across the
divide, and she wanted to get a photograph of them as they emerged from
the pass. She was following an old cattle trail which ran into the main
path just this side of the pass, and she was close to the junction