, Jasper Ewold!" declared John Wingfield, Sr.
with the bitterness of one whose personal edict excluded defeat from his
lexicon, only to find it writ broad across the page. "I suppose you think
you have won, damn you, Jasper Ewold!"

The Doge flushed. He seemed on the point of an outburst. Then he
looked significantly from the portrait of the ancestor to the portrait
of the mother.

"He was never yours to lose!" was the answer, without passion.

John Wingfield, Sr. recoiled, avoiding a glance at the walls where the
pictures hung. The Doge stepped to one side to leave the way clear. John
Wingfield, Sr. went out unsteadily, with head bowed. But he had not gone
far before his head went up with a jerk and he struck fist into palm
decisively. Rigidly, ignoring everyone he passed and looking straight
ahead, he walked rapidly toward the station, as if every step meant
welcome freedom, from the earth that it touched.

His private car was attached to the evening express, and while it started
homeward with the king and the determinedly filial heir-apparent to the
citadel of the push-buttons, through all the gardens of Little Rivers ran
the joyous news that Jack was "right as rain." It was a thing to start a
continual exchange of visits and to keep the lights burning in the houses
unusually late.

But all was dark and silent out at Bill Lang's store. After their return
from Agua Fria, the rescuing party, Jim Galway leading, had attended to
another matter. The remnants of Pete Leddy's gang, far from offering any
resistance, explained that they had business elsewhere which admitted of
no delay. There was peace in the valley of Little Rivers. Its phantoms
had been laid at the same time as Jack's.

XXXVIII

THEIR SIDE OF THE PASS

"Persiflage! Persiflage!" cried the Doge.

He and Jack were in the full tilt of controversy, Jack pressing an
advantage as they came around the corner of the Ewold house. It was like
the old times and better than the old times. For now there was
understanding where then there had been mystery. The stream of their
comradeship ran smoothly in an open country, with no unsounded depths.

"But I notice that you always say persiflage just as I am getting the
better of the argument!" Jack whipped back.

"Has it taken you all this time to find that out? For what purpose is
the word in the English vocabulary? But I'll take the other side, which
is the easy one, next time, and then we'll see! Boom!