a little thing like terms. Some way, I just feel it in my bones that
we're going to buy. A woman has intuition--you wait and see."

"Colston was to meet us at Timber City today, and tomorrow we'll ride
out and look over the ranch. Do you think you're up to a sixty-mile
ride?"

"Sixty! I could ride six hundred!" The brake-shoes creaked as the driver
drew his horses up for a breathing spell at the top of the divide.
"See!" Alice cried, pointing far out into the foothills. "There is
Timber City, with its little wooden buildings huddled against the pines
exactly as it was a year ago today when we looked back at it from this
very spot. And way beyond you can see the river glistening in the sun,
and beyond that are the bad lands." Involuntarily she shuddered: "It's
all as vivid as though it had happened yesterday--the dust storm, and
the terrible thirst--only you and Tex cheated and gave me all the
water."

Endicott nodded: "I don't think we'll ever forget it--it was a mighty
close call for all of us." The stage descended the long slope and wound
in and out among the foothills, its two occupants contenting themselves
with watching the lazy wheeling of the buzzards against the blue, and
the antics of the prairie dogs that scolded and chickered at the stage,
only to dive incontinently into their holes at its approach. The little
steepleless church loomed up before them, and Endicott glanced at his
watch: "Four o'clock," he announced, "I wonder if Colston is waiting?"

"Well, if he is, he can wait a little longer," smiled Alice. "Because
the first thing we do after we have removed some of this dust, will be
to go right over and call on the Camerons--there's the cottage now,
dear--just think, a year ago today we stood in that little corner room
and Mr. Cameron pronounced the words that made us two the happiest
people in the world--stop--please--Win! We're right in town! And if we
hurry we can be there at the very same hour and minute we were there
last year."

The stage drew up at the door of the little wooden hotel. The driver
tossed his reins to the hostlers who were waiting with fresh horses,
threw off the mail pouch, and lowered the express box to the ground
where it was receipted for by the agent, who was also the post-master,
and the proprietor of the hotel.

Endicott approached that dignitary who, mail pouch in hand, was gazing
toward a little knot of men farther down the street: "I want to engage
two rooms and a b