pe of events at Sunk
Creek. The only thing that it had not foreseen was the impression to be
made upon the Judge's mind by his conduct.

Toward the close of that winter, Judge and Mrs. Henry visited the East.
Through them a number of things became revealed. The Virginian was back
at Sunk Creek.

"And," said Mrs. Henry, "he would never have left you if I had had my
way, Judge H.!"

"No, Madam Judge," retorted her husband; "I am aware of that. For you
have always appreciated a fine appearance in a man."

"I certainly have," confessed the lady, mirthfully. "And the way he
used to come bringing my horse, with the ridges of his black hair so
carefully brushed and that blue spotted handkerchief tied so effectively
round his throat, was something that I missed a great deal after he went
away."

"Thank you, my dear, for this warning. I have plans that will keep him
absent quite constantly for the future."

And then they spoke less flightily. "I always knew," said the lady,
"that you had found a treasure when that man came."

The Judge laughed. "When it dawned on me," he said, "how cleverly he
caused me to learn the value of his services by depriving me of them, I
doubted whether it was safe to take him back."

"Safe!" cried Mrs. Henry.

"Safe, my dear. Because I'm afraid he is pretty nearly as shrewd as I
am. And that's rather dangerous in a subordinate." The Judge laughed
again. "But his action regarding the man they call Steve has made me
feel easy."

And then it came out that the Virginian was supposed to have discovered
in some way that Steve had fallen from the grace of that particular
honesty which respects another man's cattle. It was not known for
certain. But calves had begun to disappear in Cattle Land, and cows had
been found killed. And calves with one brand upon them had been found
with mothers that bore the brand of another owner. This industry was
taking root in Cattle Land, and of those who practised it, some were
beginning to be suspected. Steve was not quite fully suspected yet. But
that the Virginian had parted company with him was definitely known. And
neither man would talk about it.

There was the further news that the Bear Creek schoolhouse at length
stood complete, floor, walls, and roof; and that a lady from Bennington,
Vermont, a friend of Mrs. Balaam's, had quite suddenly decided that she
would try her hand at instructing the new generation.

The Judge and Mrs. Henry knew this because