ok after the ranges, protect the woods from fire, and so on."

"Look after th' ranges? How?"

"Regulate grazing, grant permits."

"Permits?"

"Yes." And seeing that at last he had caught her interest, Kenset
talked quietly for an hour and told her more than he had vouchsafed
any other in Lost Valley about his work.

Gradually, however, he fell to talking to amuse her, for he saw the
emptiness behind the big blue eyes, the aching void which there was
nothing to fill, neither love nor hope.

As the sun sank lower toward the west Ellen took off the atrocity of
calico and starch, and he saw with wonder the amazing beauty of her
ropes of hair.

When he ceased talking the silence became profound, for she had
nothing to say and speech did not come easy to her anyway. He did not
know that at the windows and behind the door-jambs of the deep old
house were clustered almost a dozen dusky women and children, drawn
from all over the place and listening in utter silence.

Unconsciously he had drifted back to his life in the outside world,
encouraged by the absorbing interest of the pale eyes that never left
his face. He told Ellen of boat races on the Hudson, of theatres on
Broadway, of college pranks and frolics, ranged over half the
continent in little story and snatch of description.

Neither one noticed how the shadows were lengthening, nor that the
sun had dropped in majesty behind the mighty Wall.

It took the sound of running horses, many of them coming up along the
slopes, to bring Kenset back to the present with a snap, to make the
woman reach swiftly for the bonnet and clap it on her head.

"Mrs. Courtrey," said Kenset hurriedly, "this has been the first real
talk I have had with any of my neighbours, and I want to thank you for
it."

"Oh," quavered the woman, "I don't know as I'd ought to a-let you
stayed! Mebby I'd oughtn't. But--but seems like you bein' so
different, an' I not seein' no one, come day in day out, w'y I--I--"

"Sure," he returned quickly, understanding. "You did just right. I
wanted to stay."

Then he rose to his feet and there came the thunder of the horses, the
noise of men stopping from a run, dismounting.

Ellen rose and he followed her around the corner of the house to the
door yard.

As they waited, Courtrey, clad in dark leather chaps, his guns
swinging, came toward them. At sight of Kenset he stopped short and an
oath rolled from his lips. The kerchief at his neck was turned