tom trail. He remembered
hearing Norton tell one of the men that morning that he suspected that
several of Ed Hazelton's cattle were still in the vicinity of the basin
near the Hazelton cabin, and he determined to ride around that way and
try to turn them back toward the Circle Bar. It would be recreation for
him after a hot morning in the office.

He also remembered another thing that had occurred that morning at the
ranch house. Mrs. Norton had assured him--with a sly, eloquent glance at
him--that he might do worse than to make arrangements to keep Nellie
Hazelton at the Circle Bar indefinitely. At the risk of being considered
obtuse Hollis had ignored the hint, broad though it had been. But Mrs.
Norton's words had shown him that Nellie stood high in her estimation
and he felt a queer, unaccountable elation.

After striking the Dry Bottom trail he took a circuitous route and some
time later came out upon a high ridge overlooking a basin. There were
some cattle down there and he made a mental note of the locality so that
he would be able to tell Norton where to have the men look for the
cattle. Then he rode along the ridge until he could no longer see the
basin. He spent most of the afternoon exploring the surrounding country,
and then when the dusk began to fall he retraced his steps to the ridge
upon which he had ridden earlier in the afternoon. Something familiar in
the shape of the hills near him struck him and he halted his pony and
smiled. These were the hills that he had seen many times from the
Hazelton porch. He faced around, certain that if the hills could be seen
from the porch he would be able to discern the porch from some point on
the ridge, for he was satisfied that he must be nearly in line with it.
He rode back and forth a few moments, and then, coming out on a bald
spot on the ridge, he saw the cabin.

It was about a mile away, snuggled comfortably down in a little basin,
with some trees and shrubbery flanking it on both sides. He smiled as he
looked at it, and then suddenly his face clouded, for he saw two ponies
hitched to the porch. His forehead wrinkled perplexedly over this. He
was certain that Nellie rode the same animal each time, because she
would not trust any of the others that were now with the remuda. One of
the horses belonged to her of course, for he could see the gay ribbon
with which she was accustomed to decorate her animal's bridle. But to
whom did the other horse belong? He gazed