"_I_'ll tell you what we'll do!" he cried, carried away by some sudden enthusiasm. "I'm gittin' tired of this Teehanno outfit--let's call fer our time and hit the trail! Was you ever up in the White Mountains? Well, pardner, we'll head fer them--that's the prettiest country in God's world! Deer and bear and wild turkeys everywhere--and fish! Say, them cricks is so full of trout they ain't hardly room fer the water. The Apaches never eat 'em--nor turkeys neither, fer that matter--and all you have to have is a little flour and bacon, and a man can live like a king. They's some big cow outfits up there, too--Double Circles, an' Wine Glass an' Cherrycow. Come on! What d'ye say? Let's quit! This ain't the only outfit in America!" For the moment Bowles was almost carried away by this sudden rush of enthusiasm, and even after a second thought it still appealed to him strongly. "Are there many bears up there?" he inquired, as if wavering upon a decision. "Believe me!" observed Brigham, swaggering at the thought. "And mountain lions, too! A man has to watch his horses in that country, or he'll find himself afoot." "And the Indians?" "Well," admitted Brigham, "of course them Apaches are bad--but they keep 'em around the Fort most of the time, and don't let 'em carry guns when they go out--nothin' but bows and arrows. Come on--they won't make us no trouble!" "Well, by Jove, Brig," sighed Bowles, drawing a long breath, "I'm awfully tempted to do it!" "Sure," nodded Brigham, "finest trip in the world--an' I know that country like a book!" "But let's finish the round-up first," suggested Bowles. "And, besides, I want to find out who it is that's searching for me. I guess I didn't tell you what I'm hiding for?" "No," shrugged Brigham; "that's all right. Then if anybody should ask me, I'll tell 'em I don't know nothin'." "Well, I'm going to tell you, anyhow!" cried Bowles impulsively. "I've got an aunt back East, and she's an awfully nice woman--does everything for me--but I have to do what she says. She doesn't _make_ me do it, you know--she just _expects_ me to do it! Maybe you never had any one like that? Well, I've always tried to do what she liked--she's my father's sister, you know--but this spring I just had to run away." "Too much fer you, eh?" commented Brigham, grinning. "No, it wasn't that so much, but she--she told me I ought to get married!" "Well, what's the matter?" inquired Brigham, his grin wreathing back to his ears. "What's the matter with that?" Bowles blushed and blinked with embarrassment. "Well, the fact is, Brigham," he said, "she picked out the girl herself!" "No! Never asked you, nor nothin'? What did the girl say?" "Oh, Christabel? Why, she never knew, of course. I came out West immediately." A puzzled look came over Brigham's honest face.