"Ah don't suppose we will really know why these men came West until Latimer or Evans gets here to explain," said Mr. Brewster, as the remaining members of the family went indoors. "Didn't you look through the papers in that leather bag?" asked Mr. Maynard of his host. "No, not when Ratzger came to and told us who they were. I handed the bag to him and felt I had no right to pry into his secrets--especially as he acted so fearful of the contents of the wallet." "I suppose they hired those horses from Oak Creek," ventured Mrs. Brewster. "Doubtless; and I told John to make sure and then ask Ratzger what had best be done to settle for them. If the men have ample means they can pay the damages, but if they haven't, I will pay for them myself," explained Mr. Brewster. "I don't see why you should! You had nothing to do with their hiring, nor with anything connected with this accident," said Mr. Maynard. "No, but folks here-abouts stick together more or less, and if one has a loss, the others generally help out. Now I can spare twenty horses from my corral sooner than have a friend in Oak Creek think I had something to do with his loss of two good saddle horses." "If every one thought and acted like that, Mr. Brewster, we would bring in the millennium without delay," Mr. Maynard remarked. "Ah feel happy to state that Ah will never defer the coming of that same millennium by any trifle like a few horses given away to a less fortunate friend." All that evening Polly and Eleanor were as cordial and chummy as ever to observers, but no one knew that the two girls had changed places. Only Anne knew that Eleanor had been in the kitchen weeping, and even she did not know the cause of the tears. She fancied there had been a girlish quarrel between the friends but that would soon be made up again. So she paid no further attention to the case. Eleanor felt humbled by the frank truth spoken by Polly, and realizing that it was absolutely as her friend had stated, she tried to impress upon Polly that she was repentant and would never again do or say a thing that might offend. Hitherto Eleanor had taken for granted that she was more experienced in every way than her simple little friend of the ranch; and without meaning to take the upper hand, had actually assumed that position, until she had reached the point where Polly rebelled against this friendly leadership. But after the fearless speech from Polly that afternoon, Eleanor comprehended how far behind she really was in this warfare between egotism and _egoism_. She began to understand that the first expressed stubbornness and selfishness which eventually would result in unhappiness for all concerned; while egoism meant exactly what Polly was trying to demonstrate for herself--that upright fearless stand for Truth, and the sacrifice of everything that interfered with the perfect working out of the highest good.