She had reached a point in her life where self-analysis was fast becoming an interesting study. At present it struck her as being amusing. The clatter of hoofs and a wild whoop brought her out of her absorbing study, as down the nearest side-hill the twins raced pell-mell, the pinto pony leading the stylish Dude by half a length. They drew up suddenly in the road beside her. "Now you can see fer yourself that that Dude cayuse of Dave's ain't in it with my pinto!" exclaimed the soft-voiced twin. "What'er you givin' us!" shouted Dave. "Just hear him brag about that spotted cayuse of his'n! 'Twasn't no even race at all. He had 'bout a mile the start!" "Oh, come off your perch!" retorted the other sweetly. "Where are you boys going?" asked Hope. "Nowheres. We seen you from the top of the divide, an' I thought I'd just show you what was in Pinto. He's all right--you bet! Ain't you, old man?" said the boy, pulling his pony's mane affectionately. "Oh, _I_ wasn't tryin' to show off!" exclaimed Dave. "But just give me a level road an' I'll beat you all to pieces!" "Where have you been?" inquired Hope. The boys looked at each other in a sheepish manner. "I'm going to guess," said the girl suspiciously, "and if I am right you'll have to own up. In the first place your father sent you out to bring in those cows and calves over near old Peter's basin. Instead of that you went on farther and found a camp. You went in one of the tents and ate some dried blackberry pie, instead of bringing in the cattle. Now, isn't that so?" Dave looked dumfounded. "I don't see how you knew that when you wasn't along! Gee, you must know things like grandmother White Blanket!" he exclaimed. The soft-voiced twin began to laugh. "I told you that you was gettin' more o' that pie on your face 'n you was in your mouth!" he exclaimed, whereupon the other quickly turned away his besmeared countenance, proceeding to wipe it vigorously with the sleeve of his coat. "Have you got your bounty yet for the coyotes you dug out of the hill?" asked Hope, to allay his discomfort. She glanced sideways at the soft-voiced twin, who assumed his most docile, innocent expression, and rode on ahead. It had become a sore subject with him. Suddenly giving a wild whoop he spurred up his pinto and dashed in among the assortment of tents, bringing to the entrance of her abode old Mother White Blanket, who hurled after him numerous blood-curdling, Indian invectives. Then she covered her yellow prongs of teeth under a wrinkled lip and scowled fiercely at Hope as she passed along the road, causing the breed boy to say: "The old woman's got it in fer you, I reckon. But don't you care, she ain't so all-fired smart as she makes out to be!"