achelors Are
Forbidden,' and she got one black ball. Daisy is a stenographer, you
know, and her employer is Mr. Doolittle and Mrs. Doolittle is our High
Priestess."

"Yes," said Jack curtly, "and she does not belie her name, I guess."

"That isn't all, Jack. Mrs. Doolittle has got her ax sharpened for me, I
understand, at next election. I was going to run for corresponding
secretary, but I guess I will give it up!"

The short visit made to his home was devoted mainly to making
arrangements with tutors and deciding on the best lines to follow in
fitting Chiquita for the work she had chosen.

Hazel and his sisters made quite a bit of sport of the undertaking, but
Jack took it all good naturedly, holding his own against the combined
forces in repartee.

After these details were disposed of he joined Hazel at her home for a
few days, then started for the frontier.

CHAPTER IX.

UTE, BIG WARRIOR--NO PLOW.

The diuturnal petticoat of snow which clothed the mountain was getting
shorter and shorter as the diurnal sun crept farther and farther north
on his summer ascension. The beavers were busy, tooth and tail, building
new dams and repairing old ones. The Ute ponies were getting fat on new
buffalo and bunch grass, and the tender-eyed does were seeking higher
altitudes when Jack again reached the old trail leading to the Indian
village on Rock Creek.

Chiquita spied the lone horseman long before he was aware of his
proximity to the old camping ground.

"Chiquita heap glad to see Jack." She made her welcome, palms to the
front, raised high in the air.

"How! How!" replied Jack and he looked askance at Chiquita in wonderment
that she should be so far from the village. "Jack no sabe," he
continued, and looked from one point of the compass to another for a
familiar landmark.

"Chiquita know, see Jack, old trail behind big peak, new trail this way,
when Jack go where sun rise, ground covered with heap big snow--no see
this trail."

"Me sabe. Where Yamanatz, Colorow, Antelope?"

Chiquita smiled at the first, became grave at the second and a flash
shot from her eyes at the word Antelope, then her face saddened as she
looked into Jack's very soul. "Yamanatz well, Colorow gone to Agency,
Antelope ready for big pony race--Susan want Antelope, Antelope no like
Susan, like--mebbe so Jack knows," she said with an arch look. "Antelope
get up big race when white man come from Hot Sulphur Springs with heap
fast pony