th the tops of the three knolls. Billy paused to gaze upon the
much-desired land, and Saxon joined him.

"What is that?" she asked, pointing toward the knolls. "Up the little
canyon, to the left of it, there on the farthest knoll, right under that
spruce that's leaning over."

What Billy saw was a white scar on the canyon wall.

"It's one on me," he said, studying the scar. "I thought I knew every
inch of that land, but I never seen that before. Why, I was right in
there at the head of the canyon the first part of the winter. It's awful
wild. Walls of the canyon like the sides of a steeple an' covered with
thick woods."

"What is it?" she asked. "A slide?"

"Must be--brought down by the heavy rains. If I don't miss my guess--"
Billy broke off, forgetting in the intensity with which he continued to
look.

"Hilyard'll sell for thirty an acre," he began again, disconnectedly.
"Good land, bad land, an' all, just as it runs, thirty an acre. That's
forty-two hundred. Payne's new at real estate, an' I'll make 'm split
his commission an' get the easiest terms ever. We can re-borrow that
four hundred from Gow Yum, an' I can borrow money on my horses an'
wagons--"

"Are you going to buy it to-day?" Saxon teased.

She scarcely touched the edge of his thought. He looked at her, as if he
had heard, then forgot her the next moment.

"Head work," he mumbled. "Head work. If I don't put over a hot one--"

He started back down the cow trail, recollected Saxon, and called over
his shoulder:

"Come on. Let's hustle. I wanta ride over an' look at that."

So rapidly did he go down the trail and across the field, that Saxon had
no time for questions. She was almost breathless from her effort to keep
up with him.

"What is it?" she begged, as he lifted her to the saddle.

"Maybe it's all a joke--I'll tell you about it afterward," he put her
off.

They galloped on the levels, trotted down the gentler slopes of road,
and not until on the steep descent of Wild Water canyon did they rein
to a walk. Billy's preoccupation was gone, and Saxon took advantage to
broach a subject which had been on her mind for some time.

"Clara Hastings told me the other day that they're going to have a
house party. The Hazards are to be there, and the Halls, and Roy
Blanchard...."

She looked at Billy anxiously. At the mention of Blanchard his head had
tossed up as to a bugle call. Slowly a whimsical twinkle began to glint
up through the cloudy