ent all night, seh."

"Scarcely to-night, I think. I thought you might know something about
him."

"I have been absent myself, seh."

"Ah! On a vacation, perhaps?" The divine had a ruddy facet. His strong
glance was straight and frank and fearless; but his smile too much
reminded me of days bygone, when we used to return to school from the
Christmas holidays, and the masters would shake our hands and welcome
us with: "Robert, John, Edward, glad to see you all looking so well!
Rested, and ready for hard work, I'm sure!"

That smile does not really please even good, tame little boys; and the
Virginian was nearing thirty.

"It has not been vacation this trip, seh," said he, settling straight in
his saddle. "There's the Judge driving in now, in time for all questions
yu' have to ask him."

His horse took a step, but was stopped short. There lay the Virginian's
rope on the ground. I had been aware of Trampas's quite proper departure
during the talk; and as he was leaving, I seemed also to be aware of
his placing the coil across the cantle of its owner's saddle. Had he
intended it to fall and have to be picked up? It was another evasive
little business, and quite successful, if designed to nag the owner of
the rope. A few hundred yards ahead of us Trampas was now shouting loud
cow-boy shouts. Were they to announce his return to those at home, or
did they mean derision? The Virginian leaned, keeping his seat, and,
swinging down his arm, caught up the rope, and hung it on his saddle
somewhat carefully. But the hue of rage spread over his face.

From his fence the divine now spoke, in approbation, but with another
strong, cheerless smile. "You pick up that rope as if you were well
trained to it."

"It's part of our business, seh, and we try to mind it like the rest."
But this, stated in a gentle drawl, did not pierce the missionary's
armor; his superiority was very thick.

We now rode on, and I was impressed by the reverend gentleman's robust,
dictatorial back as he proceeded by a short cut through the meadow
to the ranch. You could take him for nothing but a vigorous, sincere,
dominating man, full of the highest purpose. But whatever his creed, I
already doubted if he were the right one to sow it and make it grow in
these new, wild fields. He seemed more the sort of gardener to keep
old walks and vines pruned in their antique rigidity. I admired him for
coming all this way with his clean, short, gray whiskers and his