nd me a pencil, please, and some waste paper? I don't know what I've
done with my blotter. Thanks! Now I'm going right up to my bedroom to
sort of ruminate."

Mrs. Fleming's prescription for low spirits acted like a charm. Diana
spent most of the rest of the day scribbling. She came down to tea
looking quite elated. The others tried to question her, but she refused
to be drawn. "Wait and see!" was all she would vouchsafe.

[Illustration: WE SET OFF AND RODE ALL THE MORNING]

It was cosy in the drawing-room when the family collected and made a
circle round the log-fire. By unanimous vote Diana's story was given
first innings, and, seated in a basket-chair near the lamp, she opened
her manuscript.

"I thought I'd rather read it than tell it, if you don't mind," she
said. "I'm a duffer sometimes at telling things. Before I start off,
though, I'd best explain who folks are, or you won't understand. Uncle
Carr Clifford had a ranch in New Mexico, and I used to go and stay there
months. They always kept a special pony for me to ride. Her name was
Darkie, and she was just a peach. I used nearly to live on her back.
Lenox, my cousin, would take me all round the ranch. I'd great times.
Well, it was when I was staying at Buller's Creek (that was Uncle Carr's
ranch) that this happened. Have I made it clear?"

"Crystal! Bowl ahead!"

So Diana began:

"THE LOST PONY

"I had been staying some weeks at Buller's Creek, and one morning,
when I came down to breakfast, Lenox ran into the veranda. He looked
fearfully excited.

"'Do you know,' he cried, 'that Darkie's missing from the stable?'

"We all sprang up at the bad news, and Uncle Carr whistled. Darkie
was my special pet, and, apart from that, she was the best pony on
the ranch. How had she got out of the stable? Lenox had tied her up
himself the night before. Either some malicious person must have let
her loose or, worse still, some one must have stolen her.

"'I believe it's Lu Hudson!' declared Lenox and Uncle Carr nodded.

"Lu Hudson, whom most people called 'Spanish Lu', was the owner of
the next ranch, and a very disagreeable neighbour. He was a big,
rough, dark, hot-tempered fellow, with a bad reputation for picking
quarrels and using his revolver. He and Uncle Carr were continually
having lawsuits about the boundary of their ranches, and his sheep
were constantly trespassin