"Aw yes, you will--"

Helen rose with beating heart and tingling ears, and moved away out of
hearing. She had listened too long to what had not been intended for her
ears, yet she could not be sorry. She walked a few rods along the brook,
out from under the pines, and, standing in the open edge of the park,
she felt the beautiful scene still her agitation. The following
moments, then, were the happiest she had spent in Paradise Park, and the
profoundest of her whole life.

Presently her uncle called her.

"Nell, this here hunter wants to give you thet black hoss. An' I say you
take him."

"Ranger deserves better care than I can give him," said Dale. "He runs
free in the woods most of the time. I'd be obliged if she'd have him.
An' the hound, Pedro, too."

Bo swept a saucy glance from Dale to her sister.

"Sure she'll have Ranger. Just offer him to ME!"

Dale stood there expectantly, holding a blanket in his hand, ready to
saddle the horse. Carmichael walked around Ranger with that appraising
eye so keen in cowboys.

"Las Vegas, do you know anything about horses?" asked Bo.

"Me! Wal, if you ever buy or trade a hoss you shore have me there,"
replied Carmichael.

"What do you think of Ranger?" went on Bo.

"Shore I'd buy him sudden, if I could."

"Mr. Las Vegas, you're too late," asserted Helen, as she advanced to lay
a hand on the horse.

"Ranger is mine."

Dale smoothed out the blanket and, folding it, he threw it over the
horse; and then with one powerful swing he set the saddle in place.

"Thank you very much for him," said Helen, softly.

"You're welcome, an' I'm sure glad," responded Dale, and then, after a
few deft, strong pulls at the straps, he continued. "There, he's ready
for you."

With that he laid an arm over the saddle, and faced Helen as she stood
patting and smoothing Ranger. Helen, strong and calm now, in feminine
possession of her secret and his, as well as her composure, looked
frankly and steadily at Dale. He seemed composed, too, yet the bronze of
his fine face was a trifle pale.

"But I can't thank you--I'll never be able to repay you--for your
service to me and my sister," said Helen.

"I reckon you needn't try," Dale returned. "An' my service, as you call
it, has been good for me."

"Are you going down to Pine with us?"

"No."

"But you will come soon?"

"Not very soon, I reckon," he replied, and averted his gaze.

"When?"

"Hardly before spring."

"Spring?.