cost us our lives, and the dust storm in the bad lands,
and that night of horrible thirst. Why those few days we spent in
Montana, between the time of the wreck at Wolf River and our wedding at
Timber City, were the most tumultuously adventurous days of our lives!"

His wife's eyes were shining: "Wasn't it awful--the suspense and the
excitement! And, yet, wasn't it just grand? We'll never forget it as
long as we live----"

Endicott smiled grimly: "We never will," he agreed, with emphasis. "A
man isn't likely to forget--things like that."

Alice seated herself upon the porch lounge where her husband joined
her, and for several minutes they watched a robin divide a fat worm
between the scrawny necked fledglings that thrust their ugly mouths
above the edge of the nest in the honeysuckle vine close beside them.

"It was nearly a year ago, Win," the girl breathed, softly; "our
anniversary is just thirteen days away."

"And you still want to spend it in Timber City?"

"Indeed I do! Why it would just break my heart not to be right there in
that ugly little wooden town on that day."

"And you really--seriously--want to live out there?"

"Of course I do! Why wouldn't anyone want to live there? That's real
living--with the wonderful air, and the mountains, and the boundless
unfenced range! Not right in Timber City, or any of the other towns, but
on a ranch, somewhere. We could stay there till we got tired of it, and
then go to California, or New York, or Florida for a change. But we
could call the ranch home, and live there most of the time. Now that you
have closed out your business, there is no earthly reason why we should
live in this place--it's neither east nor west, nor north, nor
south--it's just half way between everything. I wish we would hear from
that Mr. Carlson, or whatever his name is so we could go and look over
his ranch the day after our anniversary."

"His name is Colston, and we have heard," smiled Endicott. "I got word
this morning."

"Oh, what did he say?"

"He said to come and look the property over. That he was willing to
sell, and that he thought there was no doubt about our being able to
arrange satisfactory terms."

"Oh, Win, aren't you glad! You must sit right down after dinner and
write him. Tell him we'll----"

"I wired him this afternoon to meet us in Timber City."

"Let's see," Alice chattered, excitedly, "it will take--one night to
Chicago, and a day to St. Paul, and another day an