"I'll go with you, if you don't mind," he said, "and show you where to find her." She didn't mind, so Wade bolted, in athletic style, over the fence and joined her. Old Peter Judson's daughter was a very beautiful girl. Jack looked into her face,--he had nothing else to do just now,--and wondered how it was possible that she could be so pretty. Though born and reared in the valley, and having known nothing of the outside world, she was fearless in speech and manner. Her form was indeed very fine for one who had not the opportunities to gather grace, her voice was musically soft and sweet, her face was delicately fair. She looked up into Wade's eyes with an expression of earnestness that was almost an appeal. "Ye are the newcomer, ain't ye?" she asked, unabashed. "I've not been here a great many days," he replied thoughtfully. "Have ye come to stay?" she asked. The question was very direct, but Wade felt no uneasiness in replying truthfully. He had come to stay so long as everything was pleasant for him, otherwise he might pull up "stakes" and leave when he thought the time was ripe. Her next question was even more direct. She stood for one moment, surveying Wade casually. "Have ye come to raise terbacker?" she asked. "No," he replied, "I shall raise tobacco but in small quantities, merely as a pastime. I am here especially on account of my health." She surveyed him again, her large dark eyes going over him from head to feet. "Ye don't look unhealthy." She was quite right. He did not look unhealthy. His large athletic frame was not physically disabled. "No?" he questioned. "Well, I'm not quite dead." He laughed and so did she laugh, her silvery voice ringing out through the fast gathering darkness. "There is your brindle cow," he said, pointing to the creature which stood with neck bent, looking back at the two approaching figures. "Thank ye for bein' so kind," she said, looking up at him with a grateful expression upon her countenance. Picking up a short piece of broken tree limb she went round the cow, crying "Hooey-hooey!" and striking her about the flanks. The cow, fully understanding what was wanted of her, started back up the road toward home, while the girl appeared to pay no further heed to Wade's presence, feeling that he had done his full duty in locating the cow. However, the latter followed her out of the woods, both of them trailing along slowly and silently behind the cow. "I'm going to help you to get the runaway home," said Wade, smiling. "Ye needn't," she exclaimed; "I know the road all right," a little sarcastically. "But I also want to learn it," he replied, not in the least rebuffed. "Ye might be losin' time for me, an' I don't want ye to do that," tenderly. "I'd rather lose time assisting you than do anything else at this moment." "Oh!" she exclaimed, "ef ye want to learn the road, come on."