“Yes, ma’am. My land ain’t so good. I’m thinking of starting a sort of store when it’s settled, and making out that way. The only thing is, a fellow gets lonesome and there aren’t enough girls. I’ve known boys to ride eight miles both ways, just to call on a girl.” He surveyed her morosely. “If you was thinking of locating out here, you wouldn’t have much trouble getting yourself a husband. Take me, why, I’ve been looking for a wife for a couple of years. Can you cook? I seen you stepping pretty lively with the plates, up at the hotel.” It was at that point that she called Teddy and reminded him that they had not danced lately. She apologized afterwards, but he said it was just as well she had done it while he was still winner at the crap-game. It was late and cold when they went back to camp, but they were in good spirits and hummed all the way. After Gin had cuddled down in her blanket she could not go to sleep. She listened to the blood pounding through her lips, and thought of Teddy and Blake so near her, and wondered if anyone had ever been happier. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN It was six o’clock in the evening. Blake stopped with his arms full of all the wood he had picked up, rabbit-brush roots and twigs and a few bigger branches hacked unscientifically from half-dead trees. He wanted to stay out here a minute, on the other side of the hill from the fire. Gin was busy cutting up onions, probably, and if he got back there before Teddy did she would make him help. Anyway, there was no hurry for the wood: the car was full of bits that they had picked up all day. There was wood and a water can and a saucepan and there were two loaves of bread and an assortment of knives and forks from the Magdalena hotel. In a few minutes it would be his job to pull it all out, but not yet. He could see smoke from the fire hovering in the air. Probably she was mixing the stew now. He thought pleasurably of that stew, potatoes and onions and corned beef, most likely. Still, he would stand here until they called him. He loved them both, but it was good to be alone. How alone he was, even with that smoke so near him! He sighed with content and looked in the opposite direction, at the place where the sun had just sunk out of sight. The land was perfectly flat. A few bushes and cholla plants stood out like giants on the plain. It was hours’ since they had passed a fence; just land and land and land, with here and there a side road.