Ranch was not in the market.

"Peter is coming to the ranch on his way back to New York, perhaps,"
Frieda said. In the last few days she had grown to be almost as intimate
with Mr. Drummond as her sister, and had also been allowed to ride his
wonderful horse. Jean and Olive had enjoyed their turns, but Jack had
received the lion's share of attention from their new acquaintance. Once
or twice Mr. Drummond had been almost persuaded to tell her of the girl
in the East whom he intended to forget.

"Misses Frieda and Jacqueline Ralston," Mr. Drummond said five minutes
later, "I am persuaded that these mighty Falls and this giant Canyon may
remain in the landscape for some years to come, but _I_ shall not live
much longer unless we go back to our hotel for breakfast. I have noticed
our party, and they are pale and silent from exhaustion. Never did I
approve of before-breakfast excursions. Let us make a start for the
hotel and see if they don't follow suit."

The entire company was standing in little groups at some distance apart.
Elizabeth had been taking Jack's advice and walking more in the last few
days than she had dreamed possible; now she was leaning on Donald's arm,
having come all the way from the hotel on foot. Jack, Frieda and Mr.
Drummond turned to go down the hill, when Elizabeth caught sight of
them. She was worn and tired, for her walk had been too much for her,
irritable on account of her fatigue and in a general bad humor with
everybody.

"I say, Jack, where are you going?" Elizabeth called out suspiciously in
a high, clear voice. "You are always going off somewhere with Mr.
Drummond. It is quite impossible to keep up with you."

Jack and her companions stopped stock still, Ruth and Jim looked around
in surprise, Mrs. Harmon blushed, and some strangers from the hotel
laughed impertinently. Jack's temper got the best of her. Her heart
pounded and the pupils of her eyelids darkened until they were almost
black; her mouth was opened to speak.

"Steady, Miss Jack," Peter Drummond whispered quickly. "Remember,
Elizabeth is ill and so tired she does not know what she is saying."

"We are going to the hotel to breakfast, Beth," Jack answered quietly,
instead of the speech she had intended to make. "Don't you want to come
with us? Let me help you." Jack turned back toward her friend and found
her eyes filled with tears of regret. Breaking away from Donald,
Elizabeth grasped Jack's arm, but was hardly able to s