"I suppose I shall need my heaviest sweater," she remarked practically, and as if the whole affair were too commonplace for discussion. "It does look threatening. How soon will you want to start?" This without looking toward Ford at all. "Right away, if that suits you." Ford was still watchful, as if he had not quite given up hope of reading her meaning. She told him she would be ready by the time he had saddled, and she appeared in the stable door while he was cinching the saddle on the horse he meant to ride. "I hope you haven't given me Dude," she said unemotionally. "He's supposed to be gentle--but he bucked me off that day I sprained my ankle, and all the excuse he had was that a rabbit jumped out from a bush almost under his nose. I've lost faith in him since. Oh--it's Hooligan, is it? I'm glad of that; Hooligan's a dear--and he has the easiest gallop of any horse on the ranch. Have you tried him yet, Ford?" The heart of Ford lifted in his chest at her tone and her words, along toward the last. He forgot the chill of her voice in the beginning, and he dwelt greedily upon the fact that once more she had called him Ford. But his joy died suddenly when he led his horse out and discovered that Dick and Jim Felton were coming down the path, within easy hearing of her. Ford did not know women very well, but most men are born with a rudimentary understanding of them. He suspected that her intimacy of tone was meant for Dick's benefit; and when they had ridden three or four miles and her share of the conversation during that time had consisted of "yes" twice, "no" three times, and one "indeed," he was sure of it. So Ford began to wonder why she came at all--unless that, also, was meant to discipline Dick--and his own mood became a silent one. He did not, he told himself indignantly, much relish being used as a club to beat some other man into good behavior. They rode almost to Long Ridge before Ford discovered that Josephine was stealing glances at his face whenever she thought he was not looking, and that the glances were questioning, and might almost be called timid. He waited until he was sure he was not mistaken, and then turned his head unexpectedly, and smiled into her startled eyes. "What is it?" he asked, still smiling at her. "I won't bite. Say it, why don't you?" She bit her lips and looked away. "I wanted to ask something--ask you to do something," she said, after a minute. And then hurriedly, as if she feared her courage might ebb and leave her stranded, "I wish you'd give me that--jug!" Sheer surprise held Ford silent, staring at her. "I don't ask many favors--I wish you'd grant just that one. I wouldn't ask another." "What do you want of it?" "Oh--" she stopped, then plunged on recklessly. "It's getting on my nerves so! And if you gave it to me, you wouldn't have to fight the temptation--" "Why wouldn't I? There's plenty more where that came from," he reminded her.