orning, if a fellow set out
on his chubby legs, he might come to enchanted forests, lost rivers,
halcyon kingdoms guarded by some spell where the roving fairies hunted
the great bumblebee to the doorway of his house, and slew him on its
sill and carried off his treasure.

Through the fringe of locust bushes along the roadside we caught the
first glimpse of home, and the three horses pricked up their ears and
swung out in a longer trot. We clattered down the wide lane and tumbled
out of the saddles at the gate, leaving the Bay Eagle standing proudly
like some victorious general, and the Cardinal like a tired giant who
has done his work, and El Mahdi with his grey head high above the gate
looking away as of old to the far-off mountains as though he wondered
vaguely if the friend or the message or the enemy would never come.

We marched over the flagstone walk and into the house and up the
stairway. Old Liza flung us some warning through a window to the garden,
which we failed to catch and bellowed back a welcome. Then we gained the
door to the library, threw it open and went crowding in.

A step beyond that door we halted with a jerk. Ward was lounging in a
big chair with a pillow behind his shoulder, and over by the open window
where the sun danced along the casement was Cynthia Carper setting a
sheaf of roses in a jar.

Ward looked us down to the floor, and then he laughed until the great
chair tottered on its legs. "Cynthia," he cried, "will you drop a
courtesy to the gallant troopers?" She spun around with a fear kindling
in her eyes.

"The cattle!" she said. "Did you get them over?"

I had the situation in my fingers, and I felt myself grow taller with
it. "Yes," I said harshly. Then I put my hand into my pocket, drew out
the letter and handed it to her with a mocking bow. "I was asked to
carry this letter back to you, and say that my brother's word is good
enough for Nicholas Marsh."

She took the envelope and stood twisting it in her slim fingers, while a
light came up slowly in the land beyond her eyelids.

Ward held out his hand for the letter. And then I looked to see her
flutter like a pinned fly. She grew neither red nor white, but crossed
to his chair and put the letter in his hand.

He tore off the envelope and ran his eyes down the written page. "Your
order for the money!" he cried; "this was not mentioned in our plan.
What is this?"

"That," said the straight young woman, "is a field order of t