chasing him," he said. "I didn't know he was following me, but he is
gaining us valuable time, and we will push on again. Your friends will
find out they are following the wrong man very soon, but we should get
another horse at Muller's before they can ride round by the bridge."

They scrambled up the slope, and after Hetty mounted Larry ran with his
hand on the stirrup for a while, until once more he made the staunch beast
carry a double load. He was running again when they came clattering up to
Muller's homestead and the fraeulein, who was apparently alone, stared at
them in astonishment when she opened the door. The water still dripped
from Larry, and Hetty's light, bedraggled dress clung about her, while the
moisture trickled from her little open-fronted shoes. She was hatless, and
loosened wisps of dusky hair hung low about her face, which turned faintly
crimson under the fraeulein's gaze.

"Miss Torrance!" exclaimed the girl.

"Well," said Larry quietly, "she will be Mrs. Grant to-morrow if you will
lend me a horse and not mention the fact that you have seen us when
Torrance's boys come round. Where is your father?"

Miss Muller nodded with comprehending sympathy. "He two hours since with
Mr. Breckenridge go," she said. "There is new horse in the stable, and you
on the rack a saddle for lady find."

Larry was outside in a moment, and a smile crept into the fraeulein's blue
eyes. "He is of the one thing at the time alone enabled to think," she
said. "It is so with the man, but a dress with the water soaked is not
convenient to ride at night in."

She led Hetty into her own room, and when Larry, who had spent some time
changing one of the saddles, came back, he stared in astonishment at
Hetty, who sat at the table. She now wore, among other garments that were
too big for her, a fur cap and coarse, serge skirt. There was a steaming
cup of coffee in front of her.

"Now, that shows how foolish one can be," he said. "I was clean forgetting
about the clothes; but we must start again."

Hetty rose up, and with a little blush held out the cup. "You are wet to
the neck, Larry, and it will do you good," she said. "If you don't
mind--we needn't wait until Miss Muller gets another cup."

Larry's eyes gleamed. "I have run over most of Europe, but they grow no
wine there that was half as nice as the tea we made in the black can back
there in the bluff. Quite often in those days we hadn't a cup at all."

He drank, and f