The soft-voiced twin handed the bridle reins to her, then turned to his own horse, which had wandered away toward more tempting pasture. The girl thanked him, and walked over to Dave. He looked at her sullenly, a certain dogged obstinacy in his eyes. She had intended to say something kind to him, instead she spoke indifferently, yet to the point. "Go home with Dan the same as usual. Say nothing about it, but get my rifle and meet me here at the school in two hours--six o'clock. There is a big flock of chickens that fly over that point every evening." The boy made no reply, but his face changed noticeably, and he jumped on his horse, calling his twin to hurry up; but the soft-voiced boy had no notion of leaving his teacher, so Dave, with a savage whoop, ran his pony to the top of the hill, leaving the school-house and his uncomfortable feelings far in the background. "Why don't you go with him?" asked the girl. "I'm waitin' for you," replied the boy. "But I'm not going just now. You'd better run along with Dave." "I ain't in no hurry." "Aren't you? Well, that is good, for I just happened to think of something. I want you to go down to Pete La Due's place where they are branding, and hang around awhile and keep your ears open. There will be a lot of breeds there, and some of those men over on Crow Creek, and maybe something will be said that we ought to know about. You understand. You are my faithful scout, you know. And another thing--don't try to pay Dave back for what he did. He's sorry enough about it." The boy's face took on a shrewd, determined expression, causing him at once to look years older. For an instant Hope imagined that he resembled his aged grandmother, old White Blanket, the "witch." "I'll go over there," he replied, "an' I'll see what I can find out, but about Dave--I'll get even with him if it takes me ten years. He needs teachin'." "We all do," said the girl thoughtfully. "I have begun a series of lessons myself--on humanity. No, on sympathy, on what is expected of a womanly woman. We're lucky when we have a good teacher, aren't we? But it's pretty hard to learn what doesn't come natural. Remember Dave isn't like you. He wasn't made like you, and never will be like you. Think of this, and don't be hard on him, that's a good boy." The soft-voiced twin smiled sweetly, and mounting his horse, remarked: "I expect I'd better be movin' over there if I'm goin' to find out anything to-day." "Yes," said Hope, pleased that he should leave her at last. "I think you're right. Be sure to come home before bedtime and _report_." The boy dug his heels into the pinto's sides, starting off on a bound. She watched him, absent-mindedly, until he disappeared over the hill-top, then she rode away at a lively canter toward the sheep-man's ranch.