f her--a purty lass, they
say.... Now, Milt Dale, here's your chance. Stay out of the woods an' go
to work.... You can marry that girl!"

"No chance for me, Auntie," replied Dale, smiling.

The old woman snorted. "Much you know! Any girl would have you, Milt
Dale, if you'd only throw a kerchief."

"Me!... An' why, Auntie?" he queried, half amused, half thoughtful. When
he got back to civilization he always had to adjust his thoughts to the
ideas of people.

"Why? I declare, Milt, you live so in the woods you're like a boy of
ten--an' then sometimes as old as the hills.... There's no young man to
compare with you, hereabouts. An' this girl--she'll have all the spunk
of the Auchinclosses."

"Then maybe she'd not be such a catch, after all," replied Dale.

"Wal, you've no cause to love them, that's sure. But, Milt, the
Auchincloss women are always good wives."

"Dear Auntie, you're dreamin'," said Dale, soberly. "I want no wife. I'm
happy in the woods."

"Air you goin' to live like an Injun all your days, Milt Dale?" she
queried, sharply.

"I hope so."

"You ought to be ashamed. But some lass will change you, boy, an' mebbe
it'll be this Helen Rayner. I hope an' pray so to thet."

"Auntie, supposin' she did change me. She'd never change old Al. He
hates me, you know."

"Wal, I ain't so sure, Milt. I met Al the other day. He inquired for
you, an' said you was wild, but he reckoned men like you was good for
pioneer settlements. Lord knows the good turns you've done this village!
Milt, old Al doesn't approve of your wild life, but he never had no hard
feelin's till thet tame lion of yours killed so many of his sheep."

"Auntie, I don't believe Tom ever killed Al's sheep," declared Dale,
positively.

"Wal, Al thinks so, an' many other people," replied Mrs. Cass, shaking
her gray head doubtfully. "You never swore he didn't. An' there was them
two sheep-herders who did swear they seen him."

"They only saw a cougar. An' they were so scared they ran."

"Who wouldn't? Thet big beast is enough to scare any one. For land's
sakes, don't ever fetch him down here again! I'll never forgit the time
you did. All the folks an' children an' hosses in Pine broke an' run
thet day."

"Yes; but Tom wasn't to blame. Auntie, he's the tamest of my pets.
Didn't he try to put his head on your lap an' lick your hand?"

"Wal, Milt, I ain't gainsayin' your cougar pet didn't act better 'n a
lot of people I know. Fer he did. But t