d watch. A thin watch,
reflecting something aristocratic in its well-proportioned simplicity.
As he examined it his genial face expressed a sort of childish
wonderment. There was no card to show from where it had come. He opened
the back of the case, and read a brief inscription.

"And the little lady would be sendin' this to me! And it's that slim and
smooth; nothin' fancy, but a reg'lar thoroughbred, just like her."

He laid the watch carefully on his desk, and sat for a while gazing out
of the window. It was the first time in his life that a woman had made
him a present. Turning to replace the watch in the box, he saw something
glitter in the cotton. He pulled out a layer of batting, and discovered
a plain gold chain of strong, serviceable pattern.

That afternoon, as Bud came from luncheon at the hotel, a townsman
accosted him in the street. During their chat the townsman commented
upon the watch-chain. Bud drew the watch from his pocket and exhibited
it proudly.

"Just a little present from a lady friend. And her name is inside the
cover, along with mine."

"A lady friend, eh? Now, I thought it was politics mebby?"

"Nope. Strictly pussonel."

"Well, Bud, you want to watch out."

"If you're meanin' that for a joke," retorted Bud, "it's that kind of a
joke what's foundered in its front laigs and can't do nothin' but walk
around itself. I got the same almanac over to my office."

Chapter XXVI

_Idle Noon_

The occasional raw winds of spring softened to the warm calm of summer.
The horses had shed their winter coats, and grew sleek and fat on the
lush grasses of the mesa. The mesa stream cleared from a ropy red to a
sparkling thread of silver banked with vivid green. If infrequent
thunderstorms left a haze in the canons, it soon vanished in the light
air.

Bronson found it difficult to keep Dorothy from over-exerting herself.
They arose at daybreak and went to bed at dusk, save when Lorry came for
an after-dinner chat or when he prevailed upon Dorothy to play for them
in his cabin. On such occasions she would entertain them with old
melodies played softly as they smoked and listened, the lamp unlighted
and the door wide open to the stars.

One evening, when Dorothy had ceased to play for them, Lorry mentioned
that he was to leave on the following day for an indefinite time. There
had been some trouble about a new outfit that was grazing cattle far to
the south. Shoop had already sent word to t