uge gray cat
following like a dog, called excitedly to one another. A group of men
in front of Turner's gazed intently down the road, and soon manifested
signs of excitement. Dale and his comrade dismounted in front of Widow
Cass's cottage. And Dale called as he strode up the little path. Mrs.
Cass came out. She was white and shaking, but appeared calm. At sight of
her John Beeman drew a sharp breath.

"Wal, now--" he began, hoarsely, and left off.

"How's Roy?" queried Dale.

"Lord knows I'm glad to see you, boys! Milt, you're thin an'
strange-lookin'. Roy's had a little setback. He got a shock to-day an'
it throwed him off. Fever--an' now he's out of his head. It won't do
no good for you to waste time seein' him. Take my word for it he's
all right. But there's others as--For the land's sakes, Milt Dale, you
fetched thet cougar back! Don't let him near me!"

"Tom won't hurt you, mother," said Dale, as the cougar came padding up
the path. "You were sayin' somethin'--about others. Is Miss Helen safe?
Hurry!"

"Ride up to see her--an' waste no more time here."

Dale was quick in the saddle, followed by John, but the horses had to be
severely punished to force them even to a trot. And that was a lagging
trot, which now did not leave Torn behind.

The ride up to Auchincloss's ranch-house seemed endless to Dale. Natives
came out in the road to watch after he had passed. Stern as Dale was in
dominating his feelings, he could not wholly subordinate his mounting
joy to a waiting terrible anticipation of catastrophe. But no matter
what awaited--nor what fateful events might hinge upon this nameless
circumstance about to be disclosed, the wonderful and glorious fact of
the present was that in a moment he would see Helen Rayner.

There were saddled horses in the courtyard, but no riders. A Mexican
boy sat on the porch bench, in the seat where Dale remembered he had
encountered Al Auchincloss. The door of the big sitting-room was open.
The scent of flowers, the murmur of bees, the pounding of hoofs came
vaguely to Dale. His eyes dimmed, so that the ground, when he slid out
of his saddle, seemed far below him. He stepped upon the porch. His
sight suddenly cleared. A tight fullness at his throat made incoherent
the words he said to the Mexican boy. But they were understood, as the
boy ran back around the house. Dale knocked sharply and stepped over the
threshold.

Outside, John, true to his habits, was thinking, even in th