ady left spotless. The corrals, which stood out from the shelter
of a wood bluff, were claiming attention from several cow-hands.
Sounds reached her from the region of the bunkhouse, away to the right.
Then at the barns, and other ranch buildings, the voices of men implied
the work that was going forward in their region. Away in the distance
isolated horsemen were moving about in the apparently aimless fashion
of all fence riders, while, dotted about, small bands of cattle
proceeded leisurely with the endless task of endeavoring to satisfy the
craving of insatiable appetites.

The woman's farewell smile had left her eyes cold as she surveyed the
scene. There was no sign of the expressed delight with which she had
followed Nan at her first inspection of her new home. The recollection
of it had even left her. Only a certain sense of the irony of it all
occupied her. That, and a painful wonder as to when the dread under
which she labored would materialize into the shattering of every hope
within her heart.

Presently a "hand" appeared leading a saddle horse. He was a
youngster, a "barn-hand" who only worked around cattle in times of
pressure. But he possessed all the air of a cowpuncher, which he
ultimately purposed to become. Elvine watched his leisurely approach,
and remembered the days when she would have saddled her own pony.

The boy displayed no sign of deference. He stood before her chewing a
straw with all the unconcern of his kind, his arm linked through the
reins, and his hands thrust into the tops of his trousers. He was
probably not more than thirteen years of age, but he possessed all the
independence bred in the calling of the cattle world.

Elvine broke in upon his meditative curiosity as he surveyed the new
mistress of the ranch.

"What's your name, boy?" she demanded, in a tone of authority.

But the youngster was not to be startled out of his leisurely regard.
An amiable smile upon his unclean face was the preliminary result of
the question.

"Pete, ma'am," he replied after a moment. "An' around this bum lay-out
I mostly reckon to have to do the stunts other folks don't notion."

"Chore boy?"

"Wal, mebbe that's how I figger on the pay roll. I allow I ain't allus
called that way."

The smile had left his eyes. He was talking with the frank candor of
one unused to being taken notice of. There was a deep curiosity in the
look with which he surveyed her. He had already been told t