'
folks," persisted Judith with a rising triumph in her tone.

"Yes," acquiesced Bonbright, "I'll come up in April anyhow."

And with this assurance the girl rode slowly away, leading Beck, the now
resigned Pete following behind. All the sounds from the valley were
gathered as in a vast bowl and flung upward, refined by distance. A
moment she halted listening, then breasted the first rise and entered
that deep silence which waits the mountain dweller. The great forest
closed about her.

Creed Bonbright stood for a moment in the open road looking after her.
Something she had conveyed to him, some call sent forth, which had not
quite reached the ear of his spirit, and yet which troubled his calm. He
lifted his gaze toward the bulk of the big mountain looming above him. He
passed his hand absently through his fair hair, then tossed his head back
with a characteristic motion. It was good to know he was needed up there.
It was good to know he would be welcomed. So far the girl had made her
point. After this the mountains and Judith Barrier would mean one thing
in the young man's mind. As the shortest way to them both, he turned and
walked swiftly down toward the settlement and to the undertaking which
there awaited him.

Chapter II

At "The Edge"

The girl on the sorrel nag and the two riderless animals toiled patiently
up the broad, timbered flank of Big Turkey Track, following the raw red
gash in the greenery that was the road.

She gazed with wondering eyes at the familiar landmarks of the trail. All
was just as it had been when she rode down it at dawn that morning, Andy
and Jeff ahead on their mules whistling, singing, skylarking like two
playful bear cubs. It was herself that was changed. She pushed the cheap
hat off her hot forehead and tried to win to some coherence of thought
and--so far had she already come on a new, strange path--looked back with
wondering uncomprehension, as upon the beliefs and preferences of a crude
primitive ancestress, to the girl who had cared that this hat cost a
dollar and a half instead of a dollar and a quarter--only a few hours
since when she bought it at the store. She went over the bits of talk
that had been between her and Creed Bonbright. What had he said his
favourite colour was? Memory brought back his rapt young face when she
put the question to him. She trembled with delight at the recollection.
His eyes were fixed upon the sky, and he had answered her absently,