y down the trail to the ranch. Sullen because of Evadna's attitude, which seemed to him permanent

took kindly to fruit and grasses, managed to exist without too great hardship. The pension he received for having killed a few of his fellow-men at the behest of his government was devoted solely to liquid relief from the monotony of his life, an

nd, like the crickets, stopped abruptly and waited in absolute silence to take up their night chant again behind him. His horse stepped softly in the deep sand of the trail, and, when he found that his rider refused to let him stop at the stable-door, shook his head in mute displeasure,

over the vague disquiet which the thought of her caused him. No girl had ever troubled his mind befo

ought, that the ghost was effectually laid-and on the heels of that, as he rode out from the deep shade of the grove and on past the garden to the meadows beyond, he wondered if, after all, it w

vestigate. He rode up to the rock, which stood like an island of shade in that

's t

ound from the blot of darkness the

un-me likum f

inct disappointment, though he kept

What you do here? Why y

hand for silence, and afterward

can see yo', mebbyso; yo' no likum bad man for se-" He stepped back a pace, and let

ood Indian asked impatien

um Man-that-catchum-fish. Him hee-eeap kay bueno. Me

wn here to catchum many fish-trout, up in the Mal

y. Come stable-Pete stable-me walkum close-no makum noise. Me hear talk. Stoppum-no can see-me hear much bad talk. All time me hear,

r?" sugges

ch. Makum much bad talk, them mans. Me come ranch, me tellum Peaceful, him a

Good Indian, at le

ga-him come, look, so-" He indicated, by a great craning of neck in all directions, the wariness of one who goes by stealth. "Him walk still all time, go all time ova there." He swept his arm toward the meadows. "Me go still, for

nfriendly as he usually seemed, to confide his worry to him at once and without urging. And yet, to steal the Peaceful Hart ranch-the idea was ludicrous. Still, there was no harm in loo

rmured close to hi

r bush, silent-footed as a prowling bobcat. Close behind him, not quite so silent because of his riding-bo

e and ear, struck quietly through it, and came at last to the place where, the night before, Grant had overtaken Evadna-and it surprised

f shade cast upon the ground by the row of poplars. Where the shade stopped abruptly, and beyond lay white moonlight with the ranch buildings blotching it here and there,

the shadow at that end which was next the corral wavered, stopped, and then moved unmistakably. All the front of the stable was distin

f the stable, hesitated, walked out boldly, and crossed the white sand on the path to the house. Baumberger it w

f tobacco smoke ascending, and knew that his presence there had all at once become the most innocent, the most natural thing in the world; for any man, wa

again until they were well away from the house, and there was no pos

he questioned bluntly. "What for y

h," said Good Indian, without

hat for yo' no stopp

truly. "That girl, Evadna, no likum me. All

tars peeping down from above the rim-rock which guarded the bluff. "All same, yo' no go stoppum Hicks," he commanded. "Yo' stoppum dis ranch all time. Yo' all time watchum man-yo' callum Baumberga." He seemed to remembe

. Good Indian did not hear him go, though he had stood beside him; neither could

berger had gone back to his bed, he got his horse, took him by a roundabout way to the stable, and himself slept in a haystack. At least, he

nounced that he thought he would have a try at some trout himself, and so left the ranch not much behind Baumberger. That is why he patiently whipped the Malad riffles until he came up with the portly lawyer from Shoshon

e Jim a meddlesome, visionary old idiot. Steal the Peaceful Hart ra