er voice, together with her
spoken musings, he came to understand why, with that first encounter, he
had found himself almost instantly curious concerning desert folk. Not
that he had known why at the time, or had given that phase of it
consideration. He did remember that he had been strongly impressed by
the way she had managed her bolting horse. But aside from that, there
had been something in her personality, an indefinable calm and sureness,
a grip upon herself, that he had felt the very first moment. Undoubtedly
all this had flicked him into a novel curiosity. He pulled himself
together with an effort.

"I like your theory," he answered, smiling. "And it must be true,
because I am told horned toads are fast disappearing. Evidently they
have served their purpose. But tell me," he concluded, "what is becoming
of them? Where are they going?"

She laughed. "I can't tell you that. Perhaps they just vanish into the
fourth--or maybe the fifth--dimension!"

And this was the other side of her, a side he had come to learn while
with her at the dance, and which made her lovable as well as admirable.
But she was speaking again, and again was serious.

"I have yet another theory," she said--"one as to why these creatures
are here, you know." She smiled across at him. "It is all my very own,
too! It is that in their presence among us--among mankind--they
unwittingly develop us through thought. Thinking exercises the brain, we
are told, and exercising the brain makes for world-advancement--we are
told." Then, suddenly, "I hope you don't think me silly--Mr. Native?"

But he remained sober. "Tell me," he asked, after a time, "what it is
about this country--I mean other than friendships, of course--that gets
under a fellow's soul and lifts it--to the end that he wants to remain
here? I know there is something, though I can't for the life of me place
it. What is it, anyway?"

She turned upon him sharply. "Do you really feel that way?" she asked,
evidently pleased.

"I feel that way. But why do I feel that way? What is it? You know what
I mean. There is something--there must be!"

"I know what you mean--yes," she replied, thoughtfully. "Yet I doubt if
I myself, even after all these years, can define it. What you 'feel'
must be our atmosphere--its rarity, its power to exhilarate. Though that
really doesn't explain it. I reckon it's the same thing--only much more
healthful, more soulful--that one feels in large cities after nig