"What happened at the schoolhouse?" asked Peter abruptly. "You're always preaching, yourself; I suppose that's why you didn't attend," grinned Scott Parsons. "My Yankee horse is sick," said Peter, "and I couldn't leave him. How did it go?" "We ran him out," laughed Douglas. "We gave him a chance to give us real talk but he couldn't come across, so we roped him and ran him." "I thought that would happen. Poor Fowler!" Peter's voice was grave. "Listen, Peter," cried Judith, "I want to ask you a favor." She mounted the steps and stood before the man. She was as thin as he and as straight. Peter looked down at her, still scowling. "Now, Peter, listen! You know I love Swift and wouldn't hurt her for anything." "Wouldn't hurt her! Haven't I told you a hundred times that running a horse through drifts like you do ruins 'em? No, don't try to soft-soap me, Judith! When you kids want a favor from me, don't come up with your horses dripping sweat in below zero weather." He jerked Sister back into the building and slammed the door. Judith turned. "Well, we can all go over to Inez' place. She asked us." "Who's there?" demanded Doug. "Nobody. She says we can dance if we want to." There was a silence, broken after a moment by Jimmy Day. "You can't go, Maud." "I am going if you do!" exclaimed Maud. "Make him let me go, Doug." "What's the use of being so fussy about poor old Inez?" asked Scott. "What harm is there in a dance at her place?" "I don't see why, if my mother don't stop me, yours should stop you," protested Judith. "O, your mother couldn't boss a day-old calf!" said Jimmy impatiently. "Don't you knock my mother!" shrilled Judith. "Your mother--" began Maud. "Dry up, Maud, or I'll smack your mouth!" ordered Douglas. "No you won't!" cried Jimmy. "I will, anybody that says anything against Jude's mother," returned Douglas promptly. "Aw, if you folks are going to start fighting, as usual I'm going home," growled Scott Parsons. "Every time the crowd gets together, Jude has to start a scrap. It's getting god-awful cold, anyhow, and I've got chores to do." He spurred Ginger and was off. "Same here!" chimed half a dozen voices, and more horses were spurred away. Douglas glared at Judith. "Always making trouble! I should think you'd get sick of it." "Let 'em not knock my mother, or my horse, or my dog, then," replied Judith, tossing her head. "Your dog! Prince is my dog, miss, and don't you forget it for a minute," cried Douglas. He spurred Buster onto the main trail which lifted gradually toward Dead Line Peak. Judith, after a pouting moment, followed him.