Alison bent her eyes in the direction her sister indicated. “It is--one--two--three---- Oh, Christine, they are coming.” “Are you sure?” “I am sure.” “You don’t think it could be Indians?” Alison laughed. “You are so full of notions you will say next that they are Esquimaux or something equally absurd. Of course it is not Indians. I can see their hats and, unless I am much mistaken, they are John and the rest.” Christine clasped and unclasped her hands in an agony of agitation while Alison ran to the door and called: “Pedro, Pedro, they are coming.” The old man abandoned his companions and came running. He and Alison had struck up quite a friendship. He had a daughter her own age, he had told her. She was his youngest and his treasure, Alison had discovered, and had won the old man’s heart by the interest she displayed in this Mexican maid. He joined her now by the door and assured her that she was right in her conjectures. “I am sure it is Mr. Jordan riding ahead,” Alison called in to her sister. “There are five of them, I verily believe. I can see them quite easily now. What did I tell you when I set the table?” Nearer and nearer the horsemen galloped. Now they had passed Steve’s cabin, now they were at the gate and came clattering towards the house at full tilt. Alison fairly danced up and down with excitement. This was something like. Adventure to start with and no dull hours to drone away that evening. John was the first to alight and Neal followed him. Christine watched breathlessly as one after another emerged from the dimness and stepped into the full light of the room. After John and Neal came Ira Korner, then Reuben Blakely; the fifth man was a stranger. Christine went swiftly up to her brother. “Where is he?” she asked. “Why didn’t you bring him?” John looked down at her and patted her shoulder in awkward confusion. “Well, the fact is, we didn’t find Steve,” he said, “and we have about concluded that he went off hunting, lost his horse and is footing it back. He’ll likely get along between this and to-morrow night. We’ve about made up our minds that while he was away some pesky redskins, who had been watching their chance, sneaked in and got the horses. We made out by the tracks that it is just about that way. We followed up the thing as far as it seemed any use and then we passed on the word. Pike Toles is going to take a squint at the tracks beyond his place and maybe we can get wind of something. That’s why we brought Pike along. I wouldn’t worry, Tina. Steve’ll be tramping in first thing you know.” At this report Christine looked so woebegone that Alison flounced out of the room to give vent to her feelings in the kitchen. “The idea of Christine’s looking as if she had lost her last friend. Suppose Steve hasn’t come, that’s no reason why she should be going about looking like a dying calf. I’d be ashamed to let any one know I cared. Big sisters are such sillies sometimes. You can be mighty sure I’d never do that way.”