d black spell had gone with the miles. Little by little,
mile after mile, and now it's gone! But I had to come to the point. To
go back on my word! To tell you. Russ, you never, _never_ had any
sense!"

Then I opened my eyes and my arms, too, and we were reunited. It must
have been a happy moment, so happy that it numbed me beyond
appreciation. "Yes, Sally," I agreed; "but no man ever had such a
wonderful girl."

"Russ, I never--took off your ring," she whispered.

"But you hid your hand from my sight," I replied quickly.

"Oh dear Russ, we're crazy--as crazy as those lunatics outside. Let's
think a little."

I was very content to have no thought at all, just to see and feel her
close to me.

"Russ, will you give up the Ranger Service for me?" she asked.

"Indeed I will."

"And leave this fighting Texas, never to return till the day of guns and
Rangers and bad men and even-breaks is past?"

"Yes."

"Will you go with me to my old home? It was beautiful once, Russ, before
it was let run to rack and ruin. A thousand acres. An old stone house.
Great mossy oaks. A lake and river. There are bear, deer, panther, wild
boars in the breaks. You can hunt. And ride! I've horses, Russ, such
horses! They could run these scrubby broncos off their legs. Will you
come?"

"Come! Sally, I rather think I will. But, dearest, after I'm well again
I must work," I said earnestly. "I've got to have a job."

"You're indeed a poor cowboy out of a job! Remember your deceit. Oh,
Russ! Well, you'll have work, never fear."

"Sally, is this old home of yours near the one Diane speaks of so much?"
I asked.

"Indeed it is. But hers has been kept under cultivation and in repair,
while mine has run down. That will be our work, to build it up. So it's
settled then?"

"Almost. There are certain--er--formalities--needful in a compact of
this kind." She looked inquiringly at me, with a soft flush. "Well, if
you are so dense, try to bring back that Sally Langdon who used to
torment me. How you broke your promises! How you leaned from your
saddle! Kiss me, Sally!"

Later, as we drew close to Uvalde, Sally and I sat in one seat, after
the manner of Diane and Vaughn, and we looked out over the west where
the sun was setting behind dim and distant mountains. We were fast
leaving the wild and barren border. Already it seemed far beyond that
broken rugged horizon with its dark line silhouetted against the rosy
and golden sky. Already the spell