here,
Miss Schuyler."

Flora Schuyler smiled. "You are young, or you wouldn't empty the magazine
all at once in answer to a single shot."

"Well," said Breckenridge, "so are you. It is getting dark, but I have a
notion that you are something else too. The fact I mentioned explains the
liberty."

Flora shook her head. "The dusk is kind. Any way, I know I am years older
than you. There are no little girls in this country like the ones you have
been accustomed to."

"Now," said Breckenridge, "my sisters and cousins are, I firmly believe, a
good deal nicer than those belonging to most other men; but, you see, I
have quite a lot of them, and any one so favoured loses a good many
illusions."

In the meantime Hetty, who, when she fancied he would not observe it,
glanced at him now and then, rode silently beside Grant until he turned to
her.

"I have a good deal to thank you for, Hetty, and--for you know I was never
clever at saying the right thing--I don't quite know how to begin. Still,
in the old times we understood just what each other meant so well that
talking wasn't necessary. You know I'm grateful for my liberty and would
sooner take it from you than anybody else, don't you?"

Hetty laid a restraint upon herself, for there was a thrill in the man's
voice, which awakened a response within her. "Wouldn't it be better to
forget those days?" she said. "It is very different now."

"It isn't easy," said Grant, checking a sigh. "I 'most fancied they had
come back the night you told me how to get away."

Hetty's horse plunged as she tightened its bridle in a fashion there was
no apparent necessity for. "That," she said chillingly, "was quite foolish
of you, and it isn't kind to remind folks of the things they had better
not have done. Now, you told us the prairie wasn't safe because of some of
your friends."

"No," said Grant drily, "I don't think I did. I told you there were some
men around I would sooner you didn't fall in with."

"Then they must be your partisans. There isn't a cattle-boy in this
country who would be uncivil to a woman."

"I wish I was quite sure. Still, there are men coming in who don't care
who is right, and only want to stand in with the men who will give them
the most dollars or let them take what they can. We have none to give
away."

"Larry," the girl said hotly, "do you mean that we would be glad to pay
them?"

"No. But they will most of them quite naturally go over to you, which wi