Curiously, while they actually hurried, and Bill held her no longer than a few seconds in his arms, Don Hunter's voice came bellowing from the porch before they reached the corral gate. He looked at them searchingly too, when they came into the big kitchen where the light was mellow and homelike, and where Mrs. Don was spearing mealy, white potatoes out of an old-fashioned iron kettle. They were sighing in gastronomic bliss over the thick, quivery custard pie when Doris looked across at Bill in mild dismay. "Bill! You forgot Luella! I'll bet she's swearing herself black in the face, out there." Bill pushed back his chair and rose. "She must be hungry--thirsty, too," he said contritely. "Excuse me just four seconds and I'll bring her in." "First time I ever knew Bill to forget the parrot," Don observed drily. "Where's Sister Mitchell and Hezekiah? Didn't leave them behind, did he?" "Oh, Bill has a fellow with him in camp. Yes, he only brought Luella. She doesn't seem to like Tommy very well. She wouldn't say a word, hardly. Oh, come on, Luella!" But the smile Doris sent toward the door was too intimate to be wasted on a mere parrot. Don Hunter lifted one eyebrow, then pulled them both together in a puzzled frown. "Luella hungry? Let me have her, Bill. Here's a lovely wishbone, Luella." Luella tilted her head sidewise and regarded the proffered dainty suspiciously. "I can't believe it," she remarked with startling distinctness. "One more kiss--say you love me. Seems like a dream. Kiss me, Doris. Daddy'll see us. I can't believe it. We're rich, Bill, dear. I can't believe it. Do you love me?" Then, and then only, Luella accepted the wishbone and began daintily picking off tiny shreds of chicken meat. CHAPTER TEN "WE'RE RICH, BILL, DEAR" Bill started for the door, stumbling against a chair in his flight. "I'll kill this darned bird!" he threatened viciously. "That's the second time she's tipped my hand lately." Luella looked up at him sidewise and blinked in the effort to remember something. "Bill Dale's parrot tipped Bill's hand," she muttered, and turned her head the other way. "We'll lay low. See the recorr-r----" She turned and walked up Bill's arm to his shoulder, tilting forward there and making kissy sounds against his crimson cheek. "I can't believe it. We're rich, Bill, dear." Then she laughed in a shrill falsetto. "Better come on back and finish your pie before I boot you outside," Don observed drily. "I reckon maybe you can explain where the bird learned all that. Never saw yuh on the run before, Bill." At that, Bill returned and stood behind his chair, looking down honestly into Don Hunter's searching eyes.