business."

"It seems to me about the only chance she has to get back part of the
money," said the judge. "While that chance exists, it is just as well to
say nothing to anybody."

CHAPTER XVII

A CRISIS

Winter came with the going of the last brigades of the geese. The
sloughs and lakes froze, and the ground hardened to iron, ringing
hollowly beneath hoofs, rumbling dully to wagon wheels. It was cold, but
there was no snow in the valleys, though it lay white well down the
flanks of the ranges. On the benchlands there was nothing to relieve the
dark gloom of the firs, the bareness of the deciduous trees, the
frost-burnt dead of the grasses.

Angus had seen little of Faith Winton. At the French ranch he felt like
a cat in a strange garret. He had little or nothing in common with the
French boys, and certainly nothing with the young men who made the place
a hang-out. Though old Godfrey French was polite enough, Angus felt or
thought he felt a certain cool contempt. Kathleen was the only one of
the family with whom he was at ease.

He was now able to ride, and help round up the cattle for the winter.
But to his annoyance there were several head which could not be found.
Again they were steers, beef cattle. As in the case of the others, some
years before, they seemed to have vanished utterly. Rennie was sure they
had been rustled, and again he blamed the Indians. In the end he took
his rifle and an outfit, and Angus knew that very little would escape
his methodical combing. On top of his other hard luck Angus felt the
loss badly. He was going to be very hard run for money. None too
cheerfully he went at the various tasks of snugging up for the winter.

In these he had little or no assistance from Turkey. The youngster was
absent more than ever, and, one morning when, instead of helping with
fencing, he led out his mare saddled, Angus ventured remonstrance.

"There are a whole lot of things to do," he observed.

"No rush," Turkey returned. "Let 'em wait."

"I am not waiting."

"Well, I am," Turkey said, his tone suddenly truculent. "I've worked all
summer and fall, and I want some fun. I'm going to have it, too."

"Perhaps I want some myself," Angus suggested, holding his temper.

"Oh, you!" Turkey's voice held careless scorn of Angus' desire for
recreation. "Well, if you want it, go and get it. Nobody's stopping you.
And nobody's going to stop me."

Angus shut his lips grimly over the words which r