Then, they both laughed. She had him at such an obvious disadvantage. I do not intend to tell how far the afternoon shadows had stretched out when Eleanor exclaimed with a jump; "Dick: the buckboard is out of sight." I do not think either of them as lovers of horses ever offered adequate reason for having ridden their bronchos such a hard pace up grade the last ten miles that the ponies came down the Ridge to the Valley road a lather of sweat. "You are sure," he had asked as they came out of the evergreens, "that you'll never regret?" "Mr. Matthews intended to leave to-morrow, Dick. Do you think you could persuade him to stay over a day?" It was Mrs. Williams who sensed something unusual as the ponies came down one of the by-paths from the Ridge. "My dear, look at their faces! I do believe it has!" Then to Eleanor, "Will you come in the rig? Are you tired?" "I think I shall," said Eleanor. "You've ridden y'r nags uncommon hard, Wayland," observed Matthews. Eleanor had ascended to the back seat. Wayland had tied the bridle rein of her horse to the rear and was riding abreast of the front seat. "I wish you could make it convenient to put off your departure for a day or two," began Wayland, very red. "Eh? What's that?" cried Matthews; and when he looked to the back seat Eleanor and the little gray haired lady in plain back mourning bonnet were going on as fool-women will, and Williams was risking a fall out leaning over the seat shaking hands with Wayland. Somebody was flourishing a red cotton handkerchief; two for ten cents, they sell them in Smelter City. It was Williams who put a check to what Eleanor called a 'loadful of idiots.' "The wind is blowing towards the snow," he said; "but I don't like that column of smoke rising from the Homestead slope in this high gale. That Irish sot went home roaring drunk by the stage yesterday. What will you bet the fire didn't start in the timber slash?" Wayland gave only one look. "It isn't my job any more," he said, "but I can't stand seeing _that_." He was off at a gallop. They saw the sparks strike from the stones as he turned up the Ridge Trail.