. "It's time somebody like you came to Jonesville, Mr. Law."

"Caramba! It required bravery to ride alone into that rincon," Jose
declared. "I knew Pino Garza well, and he could shoot like the devil."

"You said your horse saved your life," Mrs. Austin went on. "How do you
mean?" When Dave had explained, she cried, quickly, "You weren't
riding--Bessie Belle?"

"Yes. She's buried where she dropped."

"Oh-h!" Alaire's exclamation was eloquent of pity, and Law smiled
crookedly.

"I've been right lonesome since she went away. 'Most every day I find
myself stealing sugar for her, the way I used to do. See!" He fumbled
in the pocket of his coat and produced some broken lumps. "Probably you
don't understand how a man gets to love his horse. Now we used to talk
to each other, just like two people. Of course, I did most of the
talking, but she understood. Why, ma'am, I've awakened in the night to
find her standing over me and my cheek wet where she'd kissed it. She'd
leave the nicest grass just to come and visit with me."

Alaire turned a quick glance upon the speaker to find his face set and
his eyes miserable. Impulsively she laid her hand upon his arm, saying:

"I know how you must feel. Do you know what has always been my dearest
wish? To be able to talk with animals; and to have them trust me. Just
think what fun it would be to talk with the wild things and make
friends of them. Oh, when I was a little girl I used to dream about it!"

Law nodded his vigorous appreciation of such a desire. "Dogs and horses
sabe more than we give them credit for. I've learned a few bird words,
too. You remember those quail at the water-hole?"

"Oh yes."

Dave smiled absent-mindedly. "There's a wonderful book about birds--one
of the keenest satires ever written, I reckon. It's about a
near-sighted old Frenchman who was cast away on a penguin island. He
saw the big birds walking around and thought they were human beings."

"How did you happen to read Anatole France?" Alaire asked, with a sharp
stare of surprise.

The Ranger stirred, but he did not meet her eyes. "Well," said he, "I
read 'most anything I can get. A feller meets up with strange books
just like he meets up with strange people."

"Not books like--that." There was a brief silence. "Mr. Law, every now
and then you say something that makes me think you're a--rank impostor."

"Pshaw!" said he. "I know cowboys that read twice as good as I do."

"You went to school in th