"I never thought anything about it." "There you are!" groaned Peter. "If I can only make you see! Doug, a woman lets down the first bar when she begins to swear and drink. She begins where Judith is beginning. She's mighty apt to end where Inez is ending. You just think about ranching in Lost Chief from your mother's point of view. It's a rough kind of a community, Douglas, compared with the same class of people in other communities. The talk itself is rough; how rough you can't appreciate because you've never heard anything else." There was another silence. Then Douglas asked heavily: "Peter, what am I going to do to keep Judith from going to Inez for advice?" "Might not be such bad advice! Inez has no illusions about what she's doing or what she's paying." "You don't mean to say Judith ought to go there?" "No, I don't! But if a kid like you goes there himself, how can you preach to Judith? And she only goes there for the dancing and fun." "But I'm a man!" "I don't care what you are. You can't preach good sermons with a foul tongue. You ought to have the nerve to look at yourself as you are before you try to bring up Judith. Lost Chief is still fairly honest. Even your father calls Inez Rodman by her right title. There's hope in that!" "But what shall I do about Judith, Peter?" "Might make a man of yourself, Doug!" "What's the matter with me?" demanded Doug, indignantly. "Douglas, you haven't a clean-cut idea to your name. And a kid of seventeen as self-satisfied as you are isn't worth baiting a coyote trap with." "There's not a guy in the valley works harder than I do!" "Right! Nor uses his brain less!" "I suppose you mean I ought to go to college and let Judith go to the devil." "Judith's pretty good stuff, herself," protested Peter. "A half-baked kid like you can't influence Judith!" Douglas started to his feet. "By God, I will! You'll see!" "There's only one way. Show yourself fit to influence her. Don't get a grouch at me, Doug. I've come a long, hard, lonely road. And all because I thought everybody was wrong but myself. I don't want your mother's son to make the same mistake, if I can help it." "I'm the unhappiest guy in the world!" cried Douglas, passionately. He mounted his horse and, followed joyfully by Prince, turned down the trail. Peter did not stir. For a long time he sat with his arm around Sister. The moon was high over the valley before he said aloud: "O Esther! Esther! The years are long!" Then he too mounted and rode away. As Doug trotted through Rodman's door-yard, Inez crossed toward the corral. "Hello, Doug! Where've you been? What's the matter with Buster?" Douglas drew up. "I gave him to Judith." "Why, you blank little fool! It must have hurt you deep!" "I guess Judith's worth it! Say, Inez, is there anything I can do for you to get you to keep Judith away from here?" "I won't hurt her, Doug." "Aw, Inez, what's the use of saying that! Make out you're sore at her."