ers, and they've found our trail," exclaimed Hetty, with
a little gasp of dismay.

There was scarcely an opening one could ride through between the birches
behind them, and it was evident that the horsemen could scarcely fail to
see them the moment they left their shelter. One of them had already
dismounted, and was apparently stooping beside the prints the horse-hoofs
had left where a little snow had sifted down upon the trail. Hetty heard
his laugh, and it brought her a great relief.

"I don't think you need worry, Breckenridge. There were only two of
them."

Hetty wheeled her horse. "It's Larry," she said.

A minute later he saw them, and, pulling up, took off his hat; but Flora
Schuyler noticed that he ventured on no more than this.

"It is late for you to be out alone. You are riding home?" he said.

"Of course!" said Hetty with, Miss Schuyler fancied, a chilliness which
contrasted curiously with the relief she had shown a minute or two
earlier.

"Well," said Grant quietly, "I'm afraid you will have to put up with our
company. There are one or two men I have no great opinion of somewhere
about this prairie. This is Mr. Breckenridge, and as the trail is rough
and narrow, he will follow with Miss Schuyler. I presume you don't mind
riding with him, although, like the rest of us, he is under the
displeasure of your friends the cattle-barons?"

Miss Schuyler looked at him steadily. "I don't know enough of this trouble
to make sure who is right," she said. "But I should never be prejudiced
against any American who was trying to do what he felt was the work meant
for him."

"Well," said Grant, with a little laugh, "Breckenridge will feel sorry
that he's an Englishman."

Miss Schuyler turned to the young man graciously, and the dim light showed
there was a twinkle in her eyes.

"That," she said, "is the next best thing. Since you are with Mr. Grant
you no doubt came out to this country because you thought we needed
reforming, Mr. Breckenridge?"

The lad laughed as they rode on up the trail with Grant and Hetty in front
of them, and Muller following.

"No," he said. "To be frank, I came out because my friends in the old one
seemed to fancy the same thing of me. When they have no great use for a
young man yonder, they generally send him to America. In fact, they send
some of them quite a nice cheque quarterly so long as they stay there. You
see, we are like the hedgehogs, or your porcupines, if you grow them