tience.

In a flash, Lahoma's face was glowing with enthusiasm. She looked back
into the room and cried, "Good-by!" Then Wilfred swung her to the back
of the led horse. "We'll beat 'em!" cried Lahoma, as he sprang upon
his horse. "Fast as you please--I've never been left behind, yet!"

The young man noted with sudden relief that she was dressed for the
hardships of the prairie. It came to him with a sense of wonder that
he had not noticed that before, perhaps from never having seen her in
fashionable attire. As they galloped from the cabin, from whose door
looked astonished faces, Lahoma answered his thought--

"Up there," she said, nodding her head toward the East, "I dressed for
people--but out here, for wind and sand."

Looking back, she saw the family running out of the cottage, waving
handkerchiefs and bonnets as in the mad joy of congratulation.

"They think we're running away together!" shouted Wilfred with
exultation. The hurry of their flight, the certainty of pursuit, the
prospect of dangers from man and nature, thrilled his blood, fixed his
jaw, illumined his eye. All life seemed suddenly a flight across a
level world whose cloud of yellow dust enveloped only himself and
Lahoma. "They think we're running away together. Look at them,
Lahoma. How happy they are at the idea!"

"They don't know there's nobody to object, if we don't," returned
Lahoma gaily, as she urged on her steed. "Come along, Wilfred," she
taunted, as his horse fell a neck behind hers, "what are you staying
back THERE for? Tired? If we get into the trail before that coach
starts, we'll have to put on all speed."

"Doing my best," he called, "but I made a bad bargain when I got this
beast. This is his best lick, and it doesn't promise to last long.
However, it was the only one left at the barn."

Lahoma slightly checked her animal. "That's a good thing, anyway--if
there's none left, those horrible men can't follow."

Wilfred did not answer. He was sure the stage would be driven in
pursuit at breakneck speed, and from the breathing of his horse he
feared it could not long endure the contest. To be sure, Red Kimball
and his men had no lawful excuse to offer the stage-driver for an
attempt to stop them; but three men who had once been desperate
highwaymen might not look for lawful excuses on a dark night in a
dreary desert. Besides, Kimball might, with some show of reason, argue
that since he was bent on the legitimate o