"I didn't think you needed any help," replied Lyle, brightly. "You never made a worse mistake in your life," said Miss Gladden, leading the way out on the porch. "I have been trying to tell these gentlemen something about this country around here, and I have only succeeded in betraying my own ignorance." Both gentlemen greeted Lyle pleasantly, and Houston rose and gave her his chair with a grave, gentle courtesy which was new to her, and which she was quick to observe and appreciate. For some time they chatted of the surrounding country, Lyle telling them where the finest scenery, the best hunting and fishing and the pleasantest picnic grounds were to be found. "About a quarter of a mile from here," she said, "in Strawberry gulch is a small canyon that has been fitted up for tourists and excursionists, and every summer numerous camping parties come out from Silver City for a few days or weeks. There is a fine lake at the head of the canyon, a boat house, and a good supply of boats, tents, and almost everything needed for camp life." "Have there been any camping parties yet?" asked Houston. "Not yet," replied Lyle. "It is too early; they usually begin coming in July; we are likely to have snow-storms out here in the mountains yet." "Snow-storms!" they all exclaimed; "What!" said Miss Gladden, "after such warm weather as this?" "Oh, yes," said Lyle, "this is only the early warm weather we always have in May, but it will be much colder again before summer really begins in earnest; though the weather is never so severe here as in the gulches farther up the mountains." "It seems to me," said Rutherford, "I've heard of the greatest number of 'gulches' out here, and some of them have the most remarkable names; very original, certainly." "Their names are mostly indicative of their early history," Lyle answered; "there are a number of them in this vicinity,--Last Chance gulch, Poor Man's gulch, Lucky gulch, Bloody gulch, and so on." "Has this gulch where we are, any such euphonious title?" inquired Miss Gladden. "This one has two names, equally euphonious and equally historical; it is now called Spotted Horse gulch, but years since it was known as Dead Man's gulch." "That sounds cheerful!" commented Miss Gladden. "Is there a ghost story connected with the gulch, Miss Maverick?" inquired Houston.