\"Foreman？\"queriedMadeline。
\"IamsimplybossofStillwell\'scowboys，andrightgladofmyjob。\"
Madelinewasconsciousofaninwardburning。Itrequiredaneffortforhertoretainheroutwardtranquillity。Annoyingconsciousnessshehadalsoofthereturningsenseofnewdisturbingemotions。Shebegantoseejusthowwalledinfromunusualthought-provokingincidentandsensationhadbeenherexclusivelife。
\"Cannotyourpropertybereclaimed？\"sheasked。\"Howmuchdoyouowe？\"
\"Tenthousanddollarswouldclearmeandgivemeanotherstart。
But，Majesty，inthiscountrythat\'sagooddealofmoney，andI
haven\'tbeenabletoraiseit。Stillwell\'sinworseshapethanI
am。\"
MadelinewentovertoAlfredandputherhandsonhisshoulders。
\"Wemustnotbeindebt。\"
Hestaredatherasifherwordshadrecalledsomethinglongforgotten。Thenhesmiled。
\"Howimperiousyouare！I\'dfcrgottenjustwhomybeautifulsisterreallyis。Majesty，you\'renotgoingtoaskmetotakemoneyfromyou？\"
\"Iam。\"
\"Well，I\'llnotdoit。Ineverdid，evenwhenIwasincollege，andthentherewasn\'tmuchbeyondme。\"
\"Listen，Alfred，\"shewenton，earnestly，\"thisisentirelydifferent。Ihadonlyanallowancethen。YouhadnowaytoknowthatsinceIlastwroteyouIhadcomeintomyinheritancefromAuntGrace。Itwas——well，thatdoesn\'tmatter。Only，Ihaven\'tbeenabletospendhalftheincome。It\'smine。It\'snotfather\'smoney。Youwillmakemeveryhappyifyou\'llconsent。Alfred，I\'mso——soamazedatthechangeinyou。I\'msohappy。Youmustnevertakeabackwardstepfromnowon。Whatistenthousanddollarstome？SometimesIspendthatinamonth。Ithrowmoneyaway。Ifyouletmehelpyouitwillbedoingmegoodaswellasyou。Please，Alfred。\"
Hekissedher，evidentlysurprisedatherearnestness。AndindeedMadelinewassurprisedherself。Oncestarted，herspeechhadflowed。
\"Youalwayswerethebestoffellows，Majesty。Andifyoureallycare——ifyoureallywanttohelpmeI\'llbeonlytoogladtoaccept。Itwillbefine。Florencewillgowild。AndthatGreaserwon\'tharassmeanymore。Majesty，prettysoonsometitledfellowwillbespendingyourmoney；Imayaswelltakealittlebeforehegetsitall，\"hefinished，jokingly。
\"Whatdoyouknowaboutme？\"sheasked，lightly。
\"Morethanyouthink。EvenifwearelostouthereinthewoollyWestwegetnews。EverybodyknowsaboutAnglesbury。AndthatDagodukewhochasedyoualloverEurope，thatLordCastletonhastherunningnowandseemsabouttowin。Howaboutit，Majesty？\"
Madelinedetectedahintthatsuggestedscorninhisgayspeech。
Anddeepinhissearchingglanceshesawaflame。Shebecamethoughtful。ShehadforgottenCastleton，NewYork，society。
\"Alfred，\"shebegan，seriously，\"Idon\'tbelieveanytitledgentlemanwilleverspendmymoney，asyouelegantlyexpressit。\"
\"Idon\'tcareforthat。It\'syou！\"hecried，passionately，andhegraspedherwithaviolencethatstartledher。Hewaswhite；
hiseyeswerenowlikefire。\"Youaresosplendid——sowonderful。
PeoplecalledyoutheAmericanBeauty，butyou\'remorethanthat。
You\'retheAmericanGirl！Majesty，marrynomanunlessyoulovehim，andloveanAmerican。StayawayfromEuropelongenoughtolearntoknowthemen——therealmenofyourowncountry。\"
\"Alfred，I\'mafraidtherearenotalwaysrealmenandrealloveforAmericangirlsininternationalmarriages。ButHelenknowsthis。It\'llbeherchoice。She\'llbemiserableifshemarriesAnglesbury。\"
\"It\'llserveherjustright，\"declaredherbrother。\"Helenwasalwayscrazyforglitter，adulation，fame。I\'llgamblesheneversawmoreofAnglesburythanthegoldandribbonsonhisbreast。\"
\"Iamsorry。Anglesburyisagentleman；butitisthemoneyhewanted，Ithink。Alfred，tellmehowyoucametoknowaboutme，\'wayouthere？YoumaybeassuredIwasastonishedtofindthatMissKingsleyknewmeasMajestyHammond。\"
\"Iimagineitwasasurprise，\"hereplied，withalaugh，\"ItoldFlorenceaboutyou——gaveherapictureofyou。And，ofcourse，beingawoman，sheshowedthepictureandtalked。She\'sinlovewithyou。Then，mydearsister，wedogetNewYorkpapersouthereoccasionally，andwecanseeandread。YoumaynotbeawarethatyouandyoursocietyfriendsareobjectsofintenseinterestintheU。S。ingeneral，andtheWestinparticular。Thepapersarefullofyou，andperhapsalotofthingsyouneverdid。\"
\"ThatMr。Stewartknew，too。Hesaid，\'You\'renotMajestyHammond？\'\"
\"Nevermindhisimpudence！\"exclaimedAlfred；andthenagainhelaughed。\"Geneisallright，onlyyou\'vegottoknowhim。I\'lltellyouwhathedid。Hegotholdofoneofthosenewspaperpicturesofyou——theoneintheTimes；hetookitawayfromhere，andinspiteofFlorencehewouldn\'tfetchitback。Itwasapictureofyouinriding-habitwithyourblue-ribbonhorse，WhiteStockings——remember？ItwastakenatNewport。Well，Stewarttackedthepictureupinhisbunk-houseandnamedhisbeautifulhorseMajesty。Allthecowboysknewit。Theywouldseethepictureandteasehimunmercifully。Buthedidn\'tcare。OnedayIhappenedtodropinonhimandfoundhimjustrecoveringfromacarouse。Isawthepicture，too，andIsaidtohim，\'Gene，ifmysisterknewyouwereadrunkardshe\'dnotbeproudofhavingherpicturestuckupinyourroom。\'Majesty，hedidnottouchadropforamonth，andwhenhediddrinkagainhetookthepicturedown，andhehasneverputitback。\"
Madelinesmiledatherbrother\'samusement，butshedidnotreply。ShesimplycouldnotadjustherselftothesequeerfreeWestern\'ways。Herbrotherhadeloquentlypleadedforhertokeepherselfaboveasordidandbrilliantmarriage，yethenotonlyallowedacowboytokeepherpictureinhisroom，butactuallyspokeofherandusedhernameinatemperancelecture。
Madelinejustescapedfeelingdisgust。Shewassavedfromthis，however，bynothinglessthanherbrother\'snaivegladnessthatthroughsubtlesuggestionStewarthadbeenpersuadedtobegoodforamonth。SomethingmadeupofStewart\'seffronterytoher；
ofFlorenceKingsleymeetingher，franklyasitwere，asanequal；oftheeldersister\'sslow，quiet，easyacceptanceofthisvisitorwhohadbeenhonoredatthecourtsofroyalty；ofthatfainthintofscorninAlfred\'svoice，andhisamusedstatementinregardtoherpictureandthenameMajesty——somethingmadeupofallthesestungMadelineHammond\'spride，alienatedherforaninstant，andthenstimulatedherintelligence，excitedherinterest，andmadeherresolvetolearnalittleaboutthisincomprehensibleWest。
\"Majesty，Imustrundowntothesiding，\"hesaid，consultinghiswatch。\"We\'reloadingashipmentofcattle。I\'llbebackbysupper-timeandbringStillwellwithme。You\'lllikehim。Givemethecheckforyourtrunk。\"
Shewentintothelittlebedroomand，takingupherbag，shegotoutanumberofchecks。
\"Six！Sixtrunks！\"heexclaimed。\"Well，I\'mverygladyouintendtostayawhile。Say，Majesty，itwilltakemeaslongtorealizewhoyoureallyareasit\'lltaketobreakyouofbeingatenderfoot。Ihopeyoupackedariding-suit。Ifnotyou\'llhavetoweartrousers！You\'llhavetodothat，anyway，whenwegoupinthemountains。\"
\"No！\"
\"Yousurewill，asFlorencesays。\"
\"Weshallseeaboutthat。Idon\'tknowwhat\'sinthetrunks。I
neverpackanything。Mydearbrother，whatdoIhavemaidsfor？\"
\"Howdiditcomethatyoudidn\'ttravelwithamaid？\"
\"Iwantedtobealone。Butdon\'tyouworry。Ishallbeabletolookaftermyself。Idaresayitwillbegoodforme。\"
Shewenttothegatewithhim。
\"Whatashaggy，dustyhorse！He\'swild，too。Doyoulethimstandthatwaywithoutbeinghaltered？Ishouldthinkhewouldrunoff。\"
\"Tenderfoot！You\'llbegreatfun，Majesty，especiallyforthecowboys。\"
\"Oh，willI？\"sheasked，constrainedly。
\"Yes，andinthreedaystheywillbefightingoneanotheroveryou。That\'sgoingtoworryme。Cowboysfallinlovewithaplainwoman，anuglywoman，anywoman，solongasshe\'syoung。
Andyou！GoodLord！They\'llgooutoftheirheads。\"
\"Youarepleasedtohefacetious，Alfred。IthinkIhavehadquiteenoughofcowboys，andIhaven\'tbeenheretwenty-fourhours。\"
\"Don\'tthinktoomuchoffirstimpressions。ThatwasmymistakewhenIarrivedhere。Good-by。I\'llgonow。Betterrestawhile。
Youlooktired。\"
ThehorsestartedasAlfredputhisfootinthestirrupandwasrunningwhentheriderslippedhislegoverthesaddle。Madelinewatchedhiminadmiration。Heseemedtobelooselyfittedtothesaddle，movingwiththehorse。
\"Isupposethat\'sacowboy\'sstyle。Itpleasesme，\"shesaid。
\"HowdifferentfromtheseatofEasternriders！\"
ThenMadelinesatupontheporchandfelltointerestedobservationofhersurrounding。Nearathanditwasdecidedlynotprepossessing。Thestreetwasdeepindust，andthecoolwindwhippeduplittlepuffs。Thehousesalongthisstreetwerealllow，square，flat-roofedstructuresmadeofsomekindofredcement。Itoccurredtohersuddenlythatthisbuilding-materialmustbetheadobeshehadreadabout。Therewasnopersoninsight。Thelongstreetappearedtohavenoend，thoughthelineofhousesdidnotextendfar。Oncesheheardahorsetrottingatsomedistance，andseveraltimestheringingofalocomotivebell。Wherewerethemountains，wonderedMadeline。Soonlowoverthehouse-roofsshesawadim，dark-blue，ruggedoutline。
Itseemedtocharmhereyesandfixhergaze。SheknewtheAdirondacks，shebadseentheAlpsfromthesummitofMontBlanc，andhadstoodunderthegreatblack，white-tippedshadowoftheHimalayas。ButtheyhadnotdrawnherastheseremoteRockies。
Thisdimhorizonlineboldlycuttingtheblueskyfascinatedher。
FlorenceKingsley\'sexpression\"beckoningmountains\"returnedtoMadeline。Shecouldnotseeorfeelsomuchasthat。Herimpressionwasratherthatthesemountainswerealoof，unattainable，thatifapproachedtheywouldrecedeorvanishlikethedesertmirage。
Madelinewenttoherroom，intendingtorestawhile，andshefellasleep。ShewasarousedbyFlorence\'sknockandcall。
\"MissHammond，yourbrotherhascomebackwithStillwell。\"
\"Why，howIhaveslept！\"exclaimedMadeline。\"It\'snearlysixo\'clock。\"
\"I\'msureglad。Youweretired。Andtheairheremakesstrangerssleepy。Come，wewantyoutomeetoldBill。Hecallshimselfthelastofthecattlemen。HehaslivedinTexasandhereallhislife。\"
MadelineaccompaniedFlorencetotheporch。Herbrother，whowassittingnearthedoor，jumpedupandsaid：
\"Hello，Majesty！\"Andasheputhisarmaroundherheturnedtowardamassivemanwhosebroad，craggyfacebegantorippleandwrinkle。\"IwanttointroducemyfriendStillwelltoyou。Bill，thisismysister，thesisterI\'vesooftentoldyouabout——
Majesty。\"
\"Wal，wal，Al，this\'stheproudestmeetin\'ofmylife，\"repliedStillwell，inaboomingvoice。Heextendedahugehand。\"Miss——
MissMajesty，sightofyouisaswelcomeastherainan\'theflowerstoanolddesertcattleman。\"
Madelinegreetedhim，anditwasallshecoulddotorepressacryatthewayhecrunchedherbaudinagraspofiron。Hewasold，white-haired，weather-beaten，withlongfurrowsdownhischecksandwithgrayeyesalmosthiddeninwrinkles。Ifhewassmilingshefancieditamostextraordinarysmile。Thenextinstantsherealizedthatithadbeenasmile，forhisfaceappearedtostoprippling，thelightdied，andsuddenlyitwaslikerudelychiseledstone。ThequalityofhardnessshehadseeninStewartwasimmeasurablyintensifiedinthisoldman\'sface。
\"MissMajesty，it\'splumbhumiliatin\'toallofusthetwewasn\'tonhandtomeetyou，\"Stillwellsaid。\"Mean\'AlsteppedintotheP。O。an\'saidafewmildan\'cheerfulthings。Themmessagesoughttohevbeensentouttotheranch。I\'msureafraiditwasabitunpleasantferyoulastnightatthestation。\"
\"Iwasratheranxiousatfirstandperhapsfrightened，\"repliedMadeline。
\"Wal，I\'msomegladtotellyouthetthere\'snomaninthesepartsexceptyourbrotherthetI\'dasliefhevmetyouasGeneStewart。\"
\"Indeed？\"
\"Yes，an\'thet\'stakin\'intoconsiderationGene\'sweakness，too。
I\'mallusfondofsayin\'ofmyselfthetI\'mthelastoftheoldcattlemen。Wal，Stewart\'snotanativeWesterner，buthe\'smypickofthelastofthecowboys。Sure，he\'syoung，buthe\'sthelastoftheoldstyle——thepicturesque——an\'chivalrous，too，I
makeboldtosay，MissMajesty，aswellastheoldhard-ridin\'
kind。FolksaredownonStewart。An\'I\'monlysayin\'agoodwordforhimhecauseheisdown，an\'mebbelastnighthemighthevscaredyou，youbein\'freshfromtheEast。\"
Madelinelikedtheoldfellowforhisloyaltytothecowboyheevidentlycaredfor；butastheredidnotseemanythingforhertosay，sheremainedsilent。
\"MissMajesty，thedayofthecattlemanisaboutover。An\'thedayofthecowboy，suchasGeneStewart，isover。There\'snoplaceforGene。Iftheseweren\'tmoderndayshe\'dcomenearbein\'agun-man，sameaswehadinTexas，whenIranchedthereinthe\'seventies。Buthecan\'tfitnowherenow；hecan\'tholdajob，an\'he\'sgoin\'down。\"
\"Iamsorrytohearit，\"murmuredMadeline。\"But，Mr。Stillwell，aren\'tthesemoderndaysoutherejustalittlewild——yet？Theconductoronmytraintoldmeofrebels，bandits，raiders。ThenIhavehadotherimpressionsof——well，thatwerewildenoughforme。\"
\"Wal，it\'ssomemorepleasantan\'excitin\'thesedaysthanformanyyears，\"repliedStillwell。\"Theboyshevtooktopackin\'
gunsagain。Butthet\'sowin\'totherevolutioninMexico。
There\'sgoin\'tobetroublealongtheborder。IreckonpeopleintheEastdon\'tknowthereisarevolution。Wal，MaderowilloustDiaz，an\'thensomeotherrebelwilloustMadero。Itmeanstroubleontheborderan\'acrosstheborder，too。Iwouldn\'twonderifUncleSamhedtogetahandinthegame。There\'salreadybeenholdupsontherailroadsan\'raidsalongtheRioGrandeValley。An\'theselittletownsarefullofGreasers，alldisturbedbythefightin\'downinMexico。We\'vebeenhevin\'
shootin\'-scrapesan\'knifin\'-scrapes，an\'somecattle-raidin\'。I
hevbeenlosin\'afewcattlerightalong。Remindsmeofoldtimes；an\'prettysoonifitdoesn\'tstop，I\'lltaketheold-timewaytostopit。\"
\"Yes，indeed，Majesty，\"putinAlfred，\"youhavehituponaninterestingtimetovisitus。\"
\"Wal，thetsure\'pearstobeso，\"rejoinedStillwell。\"Stewartgotintroubledownheahto-day，an\'I\'mmorethansorrytohevtotellyouthetyournamefiggeredinit。ButIcouldn\'tblamehim，ferIsurewouldhevdonethesamemyself。\"
\"Thatso？\"queriedAifred，laughing。\"Well，tellusaboutit。\"
Madelinesimplygazedatherbrother，and，thoughheseemedamusedatherconsternation，therewasmortificationinhisface。
Itrequirednogreatperspicuity，Madelinethought，toseethatStillwelllovedtotalk，andthewayhesquaredhimselfandspreadhishugehandsoverhiskneessuggestedthathemeanttodothisopportunityjustice。
\"MissMajesty，Ireckon，bein\'asyou\'reintheWestnow，thetyoumusttakethingsastheycome，an\'mindeachthingalittlelessthantheonebefore。Ifweoldfellershedn\'tbeenthetwaywe\'dneverhevlasted。
\"Lastnightwasn\'tparticularbad，ratin\'withsomeothernightslately。Therewasn\'tmuchdoin\'。But，Ihadahardknock。
YesterdaywhenwestartedinwithabunchofcattleIsentoneofmycowboys，DannyMains，alongahead，carryin\'moneyIhedtopayoffhandsan\'mybills，an\'Iwantedthetmoneytogetintownbeforedark。Wal，Dannywasheldup。Idon\'tdistrustthelad。
There\'sbeenstrangeGreasersintownlately，an\'mebbetheyknewaboutthemoneycomin\'。
\"Wal，whenIarrivedwiththecattleIwassomeputtoittomakeendsmeet。An\'to-dayIwasn\'tinnoangelichumor。WhenIbedmybusinessalldoneIwentaroundpokin\'mynosebeakan\'there，tryin\'togetscentofthetmoney。An\'Ihappenedinatahallwehevthetdoesdutyfer\'jailan\'hospitalan\'election-postan\'whatnot。Wal，justthenitwasdoin\'dutyasahospital。
Lastnightwasfiestanight——theseGreasershevafiestaeveryweekorso——an\'oneGreaserwhohedbeenbadhurtwaslayin\'inthehall，wherehehedbeenfetchedfromthestation。SomebodyhedsentofftoDouglasferadoctor，butbehedn\'tcomeyet。
I\'vehedsomeexperiencewithgunshotwounds，an\'Ilookedthisfellerover。Hewasn\'tshotupmuch，butIthoughttherewasdangerofblood-poison-in\'。Anyway，IdidallIcould。
\"Thehallwasfullofcowboys，ranchers，Greasers，miners，an\'
townfolks，alongwithsomestrangers。IwasabouttogetstartedupthiswaywhenPatHawecomein。
\"Pathe\'sthesheriff。Ireckon，MissMajesty，thetsheriffsarenewtoyou，an\'fersakeoftheWestI\'llexplaintoyouthetwedon\'thevmanyoftherealthinganymore。Garrett，whokilledBillytheKidan\'waskilledhimselfnearayearorsoago——hewasthekindofsheriffthethelpstomakeaself-respectin\'
country。ButthisPatHawe——wal，Ireckonthere\'snogoodinmesayin\'whatIthinkofhim。Hecomeintothehall，an\'hewasroarin\'aboutthings。Hewasgoin\'toarrestDannyMainsonsight。Wal，Ijestpolite-liketoldPatthetthemoneywasminean\'heneedn\'tgetriledaboutit。An\'ifIwantedtotrailthethiefIreckonIcoulddoitaswellasanybody。Pathowledthetlawwaslaw，an\'hewasgoin\'tolaydownthelaw。Sureit\'pearedtomethetPatwasdaidsettoarrestthefirstmanhecouldfindexcuseto。
\"Thenhecooleddownabitan\'wasaskin\'questionsaboutthewoundedGreaserwhenGeneStewartcomein。WheneverPatan\'Genecometogetheritremindsmeoftheearlydaysbackinthe\'seventies。Jestnaturallyeverybodyshutup。FerPathatesGene，an\'IreckonGeneain\'tverysweetonPat。They\'rejestnaturalfoesinthefirstplace，an\'thenthecourseofeventshereinElCajonhasbeenaggravatin\'。
\"\'Hello，Stewart！You\'rethefellerI\'mlookin\'fer，\'saidPat。
\"Stewarteyedhiman\'said，mightycoolan\'sarcastic，\'Hawe，youlookagooddealfermewhenI\'mhittin\'upthedusttheotherway。\'
\"Patwentredatthet，butheheldin。\'Say，Stewart，you-allthinkalotofthetroanhorseofyourn，withthearistocraticname？\'
\"\'IreckonIdo，\'repliedGene，shortly。
\"\'Wal，whereishe？\'
\"\'Thet\'snoneofyourbusiness，Hawe。\'
\"\'Oho！itain\'t，hey？Wal，IguessIcanmakeitmybusiness。
Stewart，therewassomequeergoings-onlastnightthetyouknowsomethin\'about。DannyMainsrobbed——Stillwell\'smoneygone——
yourroanhorsegone——thetlittlehussyBonitagone——an\'thisGreaserneargone，too。Now，seein\'thetyouwasuplatean\'
prowlin\'roundthestationwherethisGreaserwasfound，itain\'tonreasonabletothinkyoumightknowhowhegotplugged——isit？\'
\"Stewartlaughedkindofcold，an\'herolledacigarette，allthetimeeyin\'Pat，an\'thenhesaidifhe\'dpluggedtheGreaserit\'dneverhevbeensichabunglin\'job。
\"\'Icanarrestyouonsuspicion，Stewart，butbeforeIgothetfarIwantsomeevidence。IwanttoroundupDannyMainsan\'
thetlittleGreasergirl。Iwanttofindoutwhat\'sbecomeofyourhoss。You\'veneverlenthimsinceyoubedhim，an\'thereain\'tenoughraidersacrossthebordertostealhimfromyou。
It\'sgotaqueerlook——thethossbein\'gone。\'
\"\'Yousureareaswelldetective，Hawe，an\'Iwishyouaheapofluck，\'repliedStewart。
\"Thet\'pearedtonettlePatbeyondbounds，an\'hestampedaroundan\'swore。Thenhehadanidea。Itjeststuckoutalloverhim，an\'heshookhisfingerinStewart\'sface。
\"\'Youwasdrunklastnight？\'
\"Stewartneverbattedaneye。
\'YoumetsomewomanonNumberEight，didn\'tyou？\'shoutedHawe。
\"\'Imetalady，\'repliedStewart，quietan\'menacin\'like。
\"\'YoumetAlHammond\'ssister，an\'youtookheruptoKingsley\'s。
An\'cinchthis，mycowboycavalier，I\'mgoin\'uptherean\'askthisgranddamesomequestions，an\'ifshe\'sasclose-mouthedasyouareI\'llarresther！\'
\"GeneStewartturnedwhite。Iferoneexpectedtoseehimjumplikelightnin\'，ashedoeswhenhe\'sriledsudden。Buthewascalman\'hewasthinkin\'hard。Presentlyhesaid：
\"\'Pat，thet\'safoolidee，an\'ifyoudothetrickit\'llhurtyoualltherestofyourlife。There\'sabsolutelynoreasontofrightenMissHammond。An\'tryin\'toarrestherwouldbesuchadamnedoutrageaswon\'tbestoodferinElCajon。Ifyou\'resoreonmesendmetojail。I\'llgo。IfyouwanttohurtAlHammond，goan\'doitsomemankindofway。Don\'ttakeyourspiteoutonusbyinsultin\'aladywhohascomehyartohevalittlevisit。
We\'rebadenoughwithoutbein\'low-downasGreasers。\'
\"ItwasalongtalkforGene，an\'Iwasassurprisedastherestofthefellers。ThinkofGeneStewarttalkin\'softan\'sweettothetred-eyedcoyoteofasheriff！An\'Pat，helookedsodevilishlygleefulthetifsomethin\'aboutGenehedn\'theldmetightI\'dhevgotinthegamemy-self。Itwasplaintomean\'
otherswhospokeofitafterwardsthetPatHawehedforgottenthelawan\'theofficerinthemanan\'hishate。
\"\'I\'ma-goin\'，an\'I\'ma-goin\'rightnow！\'heshouted。\"An\'afterthetanyonecouldhevheerdaclocktickamileoff。Stewartseemedkindofchokin\'，an\'heseemedtohevbeenbewilderedbytheideeofHawe\'sconfrontin\'you。
\"An\'finallyheburstout：\'But，man，thinkwhoitis！It\'sMissHammond！Ifyouseenher，evenifyouwaslocoedordrunk，you——
youcouldn\'tdoit。\'
\"\'Couldn\'tI？Wal，I\'llshowyoudamnquick。WhatdoIcarewhosheis？ThemswellEasternwomen——I\'veheerdofthem。They\'renotsomuch。ThisHamrnondwoman——\'
\"SuddenlyHaweshutup，an\'withhisredmugturnin\'greenhewentforhisgun。\"
Stillwellpausedinhisnarrativetogetbreath，andhewipedhismoistbrow。Andnowhisfacebegantoloseitscragginess。Itchanged，itsoftened，itrippledandwrinkled，andallthatstrangemobilityfocusedandshoneinawonderfulsmile。
\"An\'then，MissMajesty，thentherewassomethin\'happened。
StewarttookPat\'sgunawayfromhimandthroweditonthefloor。
An\'whatfollowedwasbeautiful。SureitwasthebeautifulestsightIeverseen。Onlyitwasoversosoon！Alittlewhileafter，whenthedoctorcame，hehedanotherpatientbesidesthewoundedGreaser，an\'hesaidthetthisnewonewouldrequireaboutfourmonthstobeupan\'aroundcheerful-likeagain。An\'
GeneStewarthedhitthetrailfortheborder。\"
IVARideFromSunriseToSunsetNextmorning，whenMadelinewasarousedbyherbrother，itwasnotyetdaybreak；theairchilledher，andinthegraygloomshehadtofeelaroundformatchesandlamp。Herusuallanguidmannervanishedatatouchofthecoldwater。Presently，whenAlfredknockedonherdoorandsaidhewasleavingapitcherofhotwateroutside，shereplied，withchatteringteeth，\"Th-thanky-you，b-butId-don\'tne-needanynow。\"Shefounditnecessary，however，towarmhernumbfingersbeforeshecouldfastenhooksandbuttons。Andwhenshewasdressedshemarkedinthedimmirrorthatthereweretingesofredinhercheeks。
\"Well，ifIhaven\'tsomecolor！\"sheexclaimed。
Breakfastwaitedforherinthedining-room。Thesistersatewithher。Madelinequicklycaughtthefeelingofbriskactionthatseemedtobeintheair。Fromthebackofthehousesoundedthetrampofbootsandvoicesofmen，andfromoutsidecameadullthumpofhoofs，therattleofharness，andcreakofwheels。
ThenAlfredcamestampingin。
\"Majesty，here\'swhereyougettherealthing，\"heannounced，merrily。\"We\'rerushingyouoff，I\'msorrytosay；butwemusthustlebacktotheranch。Thefallround-upbeginsto-morrow。
Youwillrideinthebuck-boardwithFlorenceandStillwell。
I\'llrideonaheadwiththeboysandfixupalittleforyouattheranch。Yourbaggagewillfollow，butwon\'tgettheretillto-morrowsometime。It\'salongrideout——nearlyfiftymilesbywagon-road。Flo，don\'tforgetacoupleofrobes。Wrapherupwell。Andhustlegettingready。We\'rewaiting。\"
Alittlelater，whenMadelinewentoutwithFlorence，thegraygloomwaslightening。Horseswerechampingbitsandpoundinggravel。
\"Mawnin\'，MissMajesty，\"saidStillwell，gruffly，fromthefrontseatofahighvehicle。
Alfredbundledherupintothebackseat，andFlorenceafterher，andwrappedthemwithrobes。Thenhemountedhishorseandstartedoff。\"Gid-eb！\"growledStillwell，andwithacrackofhiswhiptheteamjumpedintoatrot。FlorencewhisperedintoMadeline\'sear：
\"Bill\'sgrouchyearlyinthemawnin\'。He\'llthawoutsoonasitgetswarm。\"
ItwasstillsograythatMadelinecouldnotdistinguishobjectsatanyconsiderabledistance，andsheleftElCajonwithoutknowingwhatthetownreallylookedlike。Shedidknowthatshewasgladtogetoutofit，andfoundaneasiertaskofdispellingpersistenthauntingmemory。
\"Herecomethecowboys，\"saidFlorence。
AlineofhorsemenappearedcomingfromtherightandfellinbehindAlfred，andgraduallytheydrewahead，todisappearfromsight。WhileMadelinewatchedthemthegraygloomlightenedintodawn。Allaboutherwasbareanddark；thehorizonseemedclose；
notahillnoratreebrokethemonotony。Thegroundappearedtobeflat，buttheroadwentupanddownoverlittleridges。
MadelineglancedbackwardinthedirectionofElCajonandthemountainsshehadseenthedaybefore，andshesawonlybareanddarkground，likethatwhichrolledbefore。
Apuffofcoldwindstruckherfaceandsheshivered。Florencenoticedherandpulledupthesecondrobeandtuckeditcloselyroundheruptoherchin。
\"Ifwehavealittlewindyou\'llsurefeelit，\"saidtheWesterngirl。
Madelinerepliedthatshealreadyfeltit。Thewindappearedtopenetratetherobes。itwascold，pure，nipping。Itwassothinshehadtobreatheasfastasifshewereunderordinaryexertion。Ithurthernoseandmadeherlungsache。
\"Aren\'tyouco-cold？\"askedMadeline。
\"I？\"Florencelaughed。\"I\'musedtoit。Inevergetcold。\"
TheWesterngirlsatwithunglovedhandsontheoutsideoftherobesheevidentlydidnotneedtodrawuparoundher。Madelinethoughtshehadneverseensuchaclear-eyed，healthy，splendidgirl。
\"Doyouliketoseethesunrise？\"askedFlorence。
\"Yes，IthinkIdo，\"repliedMadeline，thoughtfully。\"Frankly，I
havenotseenitforyears。\"
\"Wehavebeautifulsunrises，andsunsetsfromtheranchareglorious。\"
Longlinesofpinkfireranlevelwiththeeasternhorizon，whichappearedtorecedeasdaybrightened。Abankofthin，fleecycloudswasturningrose。Tothesouthandwesttheskywasdark；
buteverymomentitchanged，theblueturningbluer。Theeasternskywasopalescent。Theninoneplacegatheredagoldenlight，andslowlyconcentratedtillitwaslikefire。Therosybankofcloudturnedtosilverandpearl，andbehinditshotupagreatcircleofgold。Abovethedarkhorizongleamedanintenselybrightdisk。Itwasthesun。Itroseswiftly，blazingoutthedarknessbetweentheridgesandgivingcoloranddistancetothesweepofland。
\"Wal，wal，\"drawledStillwell，andstretchedhishugearmsasifhehadjustawakened，\"thet\'ssomethin\'like。\"
FlorencenudgedMadelineandwinkedather。
\"Finemawnin\'，girls，\"wentonoldBill，crackinghiswhip。
\"MissMajesty，it\'llbesomeoninterestin\'rideallmawnin\'。Butwhenwegetupabityou\'llsurelikeit。There！Looktothesouthwest，jestoverthetfarthestridge。\"
Madelineswepthergazealongthegray，slopinghorizon-linetowheredark-bluespiresrosefarbeyondtheridge。
\"PeloncilloMountains，\"saidStillwell。\"Thet\'shome，whenwegetthere。Wewon\'tseenomoreofthemtillafternoon，whentheyriseupsudden-like。\"
Peloncillo！Madelinemurmuredthemelodiousname。Wherehadsheheardit？Thensheremembered。ThecowboyStewarthadtoldthelittleMexicangirlBonitato\"hitthePeloncillotrail。\"
Probablythegirlhadriddenthebig，darkhorseoverthisveryroadatnight，alone。Madelinehadalittleshiverthatwasnotoccasionedbythecoldwind。
\"There\'sajack！\"criedFlorence，suddenly。
Madelinesawherfirstjack-rabbit。Itwasaslargeasadog，anditsearswereenormous。Itappearedtobeimpudentlytame，andthehorseskickeddustoveritastheytrottedby。FromthenonoldBillandFlorenceviedwitheachotherincallingMadeline\'sattentiontomanythingsalongtheway。Coyotesstealingawayintothebrush；buzzardsflappingoverthecarcassofacowthathadbeenmiredinawash；queerlittlelizardsrunningswiftlyacrosstheroad；cattlegrazinginthehollows；
adobehutsofMexicanherders；wild，shaggyhorses，withheadshigh，watchingfromthegrayridges——allthesethingsMadelinelookedat，indifferentlyatfirst，becauseindifferencehadbecomehabitualwithher，andthenwithaninterestthatflourishedupandinsensiblygrewassherodeon。Itgrewuntilsightofalittleragged；Mexicanboyastridethemostdiminutiveburroshehadeverseenawakenedhertothetruth。Shebecameconsciousoffaint，unmistakableawakeningoflong-deadfeelings——
enthusiasmanddelight。Whensherealizedthat，shebreatheddeepofthecold，sharpairandexperiencedaninwardjoy。Andshedivinedthen，thoughshedidnotknowwhy，thathenceforththerewastobesomethingnewinherlife，somethingshehadneverfeltbefore，somethinggoodforhersoulinthehomely，thecommonplace，thenatural，andthewild。
Meanwhile，asMadelinegazedaboutherandlistenedtohercompanions，thesunrosehigherandgrewwarmandsoaredandgrewhot；thehorsesheldtirelesslytotheirsteadytrot，andmileaftermileofrollinglandslippedby。
FromthetopofaridgeMadelinesawdownintoahollowwhereafewofthecowboyshadstoppedandweresittingroundafire，evidentlybusyatthenoondaymeal。Theirhorseswerefeedingonthelong，graygrass。
\"Wal，smellofthetburnin\'greasewoodmakesmymouthwater，\"
saidStillwell。\"I\'msurehungry。We\'llnoonhyaran\'letthehossesrest。It\'salongpulltotheranch。\"
Hehaltednearthecamp-fire，and，clamberingdown，begantounharnesstheteam。FlorenceleapedoutandturnedtohelpMadeline。
\"Walkroundalittle，\"shesaid。\"Youmustbecrampedfromsittingstillsolong。I\'llgetlunchready。\"
Madelinegotdown，gladtostretchherlimbs，andbegantostrollabout。SheheardStillwellthrowtheharnessonthegroundandslaphishorses。\"Roll，yousons-of-guns！\"hesaid。Bothhorsesbenttheirforelegs，heaveddownontheirsides，andtriedtorollover。Onehorsesucceededonthefourthtry，andthenheavedupwithasatisfiedsnortandshookoffthedustandgravel。Theotheronefailedtorollover，andgaveitup，halfrosetohisfeet，andthenlaydownontheotherside。
\"He\'ssuregoingtofeeltheground，\"saidFlorence，smilingatMadeline。\"MissHammond，Isupposethatprizehorseofyours——
WhiteStockings——wouldspoilhiscoatifhewereheahtorollinthisgreasewoodandcactus。\"
Duringlunch-timeMadelineobservedthatshewasanobjectofmanifestlygreatinteresttothethreecowboys。Shereturnedthecompliment，andwasamusedtoseethatag1ancetheirwaycausedthempainfulembarrassment。Theyweregrownmen——oneofwhomhadwhitehair——yettheyactedlikeboyscaughtintheactofstealingaforbiddenlookataprettygirl。
\"Cowboysaresureallflirts，\"saidFlorence，asifstatinganuninterestingfact。ButMadelinedetectedamerrytwinkleinhercleareyes。Thecowboysheard，andtheeffectuponthemwasmagical。Theyfelltoshamedconfusionandtohurrieduselesstasks。Madelinefounditdifficulttoseewheretheyhadbeenbold，thoughevidentlytheywerestrickenwithconsciousguilt。
SherecalledappraisinglooksofcriticalEnglisheyes，impudentFrenchstares，burningSpanishglances——gantletswhichanyAmericangirlhadtorunabroad。Comparedwithforeigneyestheeyesofthesecowboyswerethoseofsmiling，eagerbabies。
\"Haw，haw！\"roaredStillwell。\"Florence，youjesthitthenailonthehaid。Cowboysareallplumbflirts。Iwaswonderin\'whythemboysnoonedhyar。Thisain\'tnoplacetonoon。Ain\'tnograzin\'orwoodwuthburnin\'ornuthin\'。Themboysjestheldup，throwedthepacks，an\'waitedferus。Itain\'tsosurprisin\'ferBoolyan\'Ned——they\'reyoungan\'coltish——butNelsthere，why，he\'soldenoughtobethepawofbothyougirls。Itsureisamazin\'strange。\"
Asilenceensued。Thewhite-hairedcowboy，Nels，fussedaimlesslyoverthecamp-fire，andthenstraightenedupwithaveryredface。
\"Bill，you\'readog-goneliar，\"hesaid。\"IreckonIwon\'tstandtobeclassedwithBoolyan\'Ned。Thereain\'tnocowboyonthisrangethet\'smoreappreciatin\'oftheladiesthanme，butIshoreain\'tridin\'outofmyway。IreckonIhevenoughridin\'todo。
Now，Bill，ifyou\'vesichdog-gonegoodeyesmebbeyouseensomethin\'onthewayout？\"
\"Nels，Ihevn\'tseennothin\'，\"hereplied，bluntly。Hislevitydisappeared，andtheredwrinklesnarrowedroundhissearchingeyes。
\"Jesttakeasquintatthesehosstracks，\"saidNels，andhedrewStillwellafewpacesasideandpointedtolargehoofprintsinthedust。\"Ireckonyouknowthehossthetmadethem？\"
\"GeneStewart\'sroan，orI\'mason-of-a-gun！\"exclaimedStillwell，andhedroppedheavilytohiskneesandbegantoscrutinizethetracks。\"Myeyesaresurepore；but，Nels，theyain\'tfresh。\"
\"Ireckonthemtrackswasmadeearlyyesterdaymornin\'。\"
\"Wal，whatiftheywas？\"Stillwelllookedathiscowboy。\"It\'ssureasthetrednoseofyournGenewasn\'tridin\'theroan。\"
\"Who\'ssayin\'hewas？Bill，itsmore\'nyoureyesthet\'sgettin\'
old。Jestfollerthemtracks。Comeon。\"
Stillwellwalkedslowly，withhisheadbent，mutteringtohimself。Somethirtypacesormorefromthecamp-firehestoppedshortandagainfloppedtohisknees。Thenhecrawledabout，evidentlyexamininghorsetracks。
\"Nels，whoeverwasstraddlin\'Stewart\'shossmetsomebody。An\'
theyhauledupabit，butdidn\'tgitdown。\"
\"Tolerablegoodforyou，Bill，thetreasonin\'，\"repliedthecowboy。
Stillwellpresentlygotupandwalkedswiftlytotheleftforsomerods，halted，andfacedtowardthesouthwest，thenretracedhissteps。Helookedattheimperturbablecowboy。
\"Nels，Idon\'tlikethisalittle，\"hegrowled。\"ThemtracksmakestraightferthePeloncillotrail。\"
\"Shore，\"repliedNels。
\"Wal？\"wentonStillwell，impatiently。
\"Ireckonyouknowwhathossmadetheothertracks？\"
\"I\'mthinkin\'hard，butIain\'tsure\"
\"ItwasDannyMains\'sbronc。\"
\"Howdoyouknowthet？\"demandedStillwell，sharply。\"Bill，theleftfrontfootofthetlittlehossalwayswearsashoethetsetscrooked。Anyoftheboyscantellyou。I\'dknowthettrackifI
wasblind。\"
Stillwell\'sruddyfacecloudedandhekickedatacactusplant。
\"WasDannycomin\'orgoin\'？\"heasked。
\"Ireckonhewashittin\'acrosscountryferthePeloncillotrail。
ButIain\'tshoreofthetwithoutback-trailin\'himaways。I
wasjestwaitin\'feryoutocomeup。\"
\"Nels，youdon\'tthinktheboy\'sslopedwiththetlittlehussy，Bonita？\"
\"Bill，heshorewassweetonBonita，sameasGenewas，an\'EdLintonbeforehegotengaged，an\'alltheboys。She\'sshorechain-lightnin\'，thatlittleblack-eyeddevil。Dannymighthevslopedwithherallright。Dannywashelduponthewaytotown，an\'thenintheshameofithegotdrunk。Buthe\'llshewupsoon。\"
\"Wal，mebbeyouan\'theboysareright。Ibelieveyouare。
Nels，thereain\'tnodoubtonearthaboutwhowasridin\'
Stewart\'shoss？\"
\"Thet\'sasplainasthehoss\'stracks。\"
\"Wal，it\'sallamazin\'strange。Itbeatsme。Iwishtheboyswouldeaseupondrinkin\'。IwasprettyfondofDannyan\'Gene。
I\'mafraidGene\'sdonefer，sure。Ifhecrossestheborderwherehecanfightitwon\'ttakelongferhimtogetplugged。IguessI\'mgettin\'old。Idon\'tstandthingslikeIusedto。\"
\"Bill，IreckonI\'dbetterhitthePeloncillotrail。MebbeIcanfindDanny。\"
\"Ireckonyouhad，Nels，\"repliedStillwell。\"Butdon\'ttakemore\'nacoupleofdays。Wecan\'tdomuchontheround-upwithoutyou。I\'mshortofboys。\"
Thatendedtheconversation。Stillwellimmediatelybegantohitchuphisteam，andthecowboyswentouttofetchtheirstrayedhorses。Madelinehadbeencuriouslyinterested，andshesawthatFlorenceknewit。
\"Thingshappen，MissHammond，\"shesaid，soberly，almostsadly。
Madelinethought。AndthenstraightwayFlorencebeganbrightlytohumatuneandtobusyherselfrepackingwhatwasleftofthelunch。MadelineconceivedastronglikingandrespectforthisWesterngirl。Sheadmiredtheconsiderationordelicacyorwisdom——what-everitwas——whichkeptFlorencefromaskingherwhatshekneworthoughtorfeltabouttheeventsthathadtakenplace。
Soontheywereoncemorebowlingalongtheroaddownagradualincline，andthentheybegantoclimbalongridgethathadforhourshiddenwhatlaybeyond。Thatclimbwasrathertiresome，owingtothesunandthedustandtherestrictedview。
WhentheyreachedthesummitMadelinegavealittlegaspofpleasure。Adeep，gray，smoothvalleyopenedbelowandslopedupontheothersideinlittleridgeslikewaves，andtheseledtothefoothills，dottedwithclumpsofbrushortrees，andbeyondrosedarkmountains，pine-fringedandcrag-spired。
\"Wal，MissMajesty，nowwe\'regettin\'somewhere，\"saidStillwell，crackinghiswhip。\"Tenmilesacrossthisvalleyan\'we\'llbeinthefoothillswheretheApachesusedtorun。\"
\"Tenmiles！\"exclaimedMadeline。\"Itlooksnomorethanhalfamiletome。\"
\"Wal，youngwoman，beforeyougotoridin\'offaloneyouwanttogetyoureyescorrectedtoWesterndistance。Now，what\'dyoucallthemblackthingsoffthereontheslope？\"
\"Horsemen。No，cattle，\"repliedMadeline，doubtfully。\"Nope。
Jestplain，every-daycactus。An\'overhyar——lookdownthevalley。Somethin\'ofaprettyforest，ain\'tthet？\"heasked，pointing。
Madelinesawabeautifulforestinthecenterofthevalleytowardthesouth。
\"Wal，MissMajesty，thet\'sjestthisdeceivin\'air。There\'snoforest。It\'samirage。\"
\"Indeed！Howbeautifulitis！\"Madelinestrainedhergazeonthedarkblot，anditseemedtofloatintheatmosphere，tohavenoclearlydefinedmargins，towaverandshimmer，andthenitfadedandvanished。
Themountainsdroppeddownagainbehindthehorizon，andpresentlytheroadbeganoncemoretoslopeup。Thehorsesslowedtoawalk。Therewasamileofrollingridge，andthencamethefoothills。Theroadascendedthroughwindingvalleys。
Treesandbrushandrocksbegantoappearinthedryravines。
Therewasnowater，yetallalongthesandywasheswereindicationsoffloodsatsomeperiods。TheheatandtheduststifledMadeline，andshehadalreadybecometired。Stillshelookedwithallhereyesandsawbirds，andbeautifulquailwithcrests，andrabbits，andonceshesawadeer。
\"MissMajesty，\"saidStillwell，\"intheearlydaystheIndiansmadethiscountryabadonetolivein。Ireckonyouneverheerdmuchaboutthemtimes。Surelyyouwashardlybornthen。I\'llhevtotellyousomedayhowIfoughtComanchesinthePanhandle——
thetwasnorthernTexas——an\'Ihadsomemightyhair-raisin\'
scaresinthiscountrywithApaches。\"
HetoldheraboutCochise，chiefoftheChiricahuaApaches，themostsavageandbloodthirstytribethatevermadelifeahorrorforthepioneer。Cochisebefriendedthewhitesonce；buthewasthevictimofthatfriendliness，andhebecamethemostimplacableoffoes。Then，Geronimo，anotherApachechief，had，aslateas1885，goneonthewar-path，andhadleftabloodytraildowntheNewMexicoandArizonalinealmosttotheborder。
Loneranchmenandcowboyshadbeenkilled，andmothershadshottheirchildrenandthenthemselvesattheapproachoftheApache。
ThenameApachecurdledthebloodofanywomanoftheSouthwestinthosedays。
Madelineshuddered，andwasgladwhentheoldfrontiersmanchangedthesubjectandbegantotalkofthesettlingofthatcountrybytheSpaniards，thelegendsoflostgold-mineshandeddowntotheMexicans，andstrangestoriesofheroismandmysteryandreligion。TheMexicanshadnotadvancedmuchinspiteofthespreadofcivilizationtotheSouthwest。Theywerestillsuperstitious，andbelievedthelegendsoftreasureshiddeninthewallsoftheirmissions，andthatunseenhandsrolledrocksdownthegulliesupontheheadsofprospectorswhodaredtohuntforthelostminesofthepadres。
\"Upinthemountainsbackofmyranchthere\'salostmine，\"saidStillwell。\"Mebbeit\'sonlyalegend。ButsomehowIbelieveit\'sthere。Otherlostmineshevbeenfound。An\'asfer\'therollin\'stones，Isureknowthet\'strue，asanyonecanfindoutifhegoestrailin\'upthegulch。Mebbethet\'sonlytheweatherin\'ofthecliffs。It\'sasleepy，strangecountry，thisSouthwest，an\'，MissMajesty，you\'rea-goin\'toloveit。You\'llcallitro-mantic，Wal，Ireckonro-manticiscorrect。Afellergetslazyouthyaran\'dreamy，an\'hewantstoputoffworktillto-morrow。Somefolkssayit\'salandofmanana——alandofto-morrow。Thet\'stheMexicanofit。
\"ButIlikebesttothinkofwhataladysaidtomeouct——aneddicatedladylikeyou，MissMajesty。Wal，shesaidit\'salandwhereit\'salwaysafternoon。Ilikedthet。Ialwaysgetupsoreinthemawnin\'s，an\'don\'tfeelgoodtillnoon。ButintheafternoonIgetsortawarman\'likethings。An\'sunsetismytime。IreckonIdon\'twantnothin\'anyfinerthansunsetfrommyranch。YoulookoutoveravalleythatspreadswidebetweenGuadalupeMountainsan\'theChiricahuas，downacrosstheredArizonadesertcleartotheSierraMadresinMexico。Twohundredmiles，MissMajesty！An\'allasclearasprint！An\'thesunsetsbehindallthet！WhenmytimecomestodieI\'dlikeittobeonmyporchsmokin\'mypipean\'facin\'thewest。\"
SotheoldcattlemantalkedonwhileMadelinelistened，andFlorencedozedinherseat，andthesunbegantowane，andthehorsesclimbedsteadily。Presently，atthefootofthesteepascent，Stillwellgotoutandwalked，leadingtheteam。DuringthislongclimbfatigueclaimedMadeline，andshedrowsilyclosedhereyes，tofindwhensheopenedthemagainthattheglaringwhiteskyhadchangedtoasteel-blue。Thesunhadsunkbehindthefoothillsandtheairwasgrowingchilly。Stillwellhadreturnedtothedriving-seatandwaschucklingtothehorses。
Shadowscreptupcutofthehollows。
\"Wal，Flo，\"saidStillwell，\"Ireckonwe\'dbetterhevtherestofthettherelunchbeforedark。\"
\"Youdidn\'tleavemuchofit，\"laughedFlorence，assheproducedthebasketfromundertheseat。
Whiletheyate，theshorttwilightshadedandgloomfilledthehollows。Madelinesawthefirststar，afaint，winkingpointoflight。Theskyhadnowchangedtoahazygray。Madelinesawitgraduallyclearanddarken，toshowotherfaintstars。Afterthattherewasperceptibledeepeningofthegrayandanenlargingofthestarsandabrighteningofnew-bornones。Nightseemedtocomeonthecoldwind。MadelinewasgladtohavetherobesclosearoundherandtoleanagainstFlorence。Thehollowswerenowblack，butthetopsofthefoothillsgleamedpaleinasoftlight。Thesteadytrampofthehorseswenton，andthecreakofwheelsandcrunchingofgravel。Madelinegrewsosleepythatshecouldnotkeepherwearyeyelidsfromfalling。Thereweredrowsierspellsinwhichshelostafeelingofwhereshewas，andtheseweredisturbedbythejoltofwheelsoveraroughplace。
Thencameablankinterval，shortorlong，whichendedinamoreviolentlurchofthebuckboard。MadelineawoketofindherheadonFlorence\'sshoulder。Shesatuplaughingandapologizingforherlaziness。Florenceassuredhertheywouldsoonreachtheranch。
Madelineobservedthenthatthehorseswereoncemoretrotting。
Thewindwascolder，thenightdarker，thefoot-hillsflatter。
Andtheskywasnowawonderfuldeepvelvet-blueblazingwithmillionsofstars。Someofthemweremagnificent。Howstrangelywhiteandalive！AgainMadelinefelttheinsistenceoffamiliaryetbafflingassociations。Thesewhitestarscalledstrangelytoherorhauntedher。
VTheRound-UpItwasacracklingandroaringoffirethatawakenedMadelinenextmorning，andthefirstthingshesawwasahugestonefireplaceinwhichlayabundleofblazingsticks。Someonehadkindledafirewhilesheslept。Foramomentthecurioussensationofbeinglostreturnedtoher。Shejustdimlyrememberedreachingtheranchandbeingtakenintoahugehouseandahuge，dimlylightedroom。Anditseemedtoherthatshehadgonetosleepatonce，andhadawakenedwithoutrememberinghowshehadgottentobed。
Butshewaswideawakeinaninstant。Thebedstoodnearoneendofanenormouschamber。Theadobewallsresembledahallinanancientfeudalcastle，stone-floored，stone-walled，withgreatdarkenedraftersrunningacrosstheceiling。Thefewarticlesoffurniturewerewornoutandsadlydilapidated。Lightfloodedintotheroomfromtwowindowsontherightofthefireplaceandtwoontheleft，andanotherlargewindownearthebedstead。
Lookingoutfromwhereshelay，Madelinesawadark，slowup-sweepofmountain。Hereyesreturnedtothecheery，snappingfire，andshewatcheditwhilegatheringcouragetogetup。Theroomwascold。Whenshedidslipherbarefeetoutuponthestonefloorsheveryquicklyputthembackunderthewarmblankets。Andshewasstillinbedtryingtopluckuphercouragewhen，withaknockonthedoorandacheerfulgreeting，Florenceentered，carryingsteaminghotwater。
\"Goodmawnin\'，MissHammond。Hopeyousleptwell。Yousureweretiredlastnight。Iimagineyou\'llfindthisoldrancnohouseascoldasabarn。It\'llwarmupdirectly。Al\'sgonewiththeboysandBill。We\'retoridedownontherangeafterawhilewhenyourbaggagecomes。\"
Florenceworeawoolenblousewithascarfroundherneck，ashortcorduroydividedskirt，andboots；andwhileshetalkedsheenergeticallyheapeduptheburningwoodinthefireplace，andlaidMadeline\'sclothesatthefootofthebed，andheatedarugandputthatonthefloorbythebedside。Andlastly，withasweet，directsmile，shesaid：
\"Altoldme——andIsuresawmyself——thatyouweren\'tusedtobeingwithoutyourmaid。Willyouletmehelpyou？\"
\"Thankyou，Iamgoingtobemyownmaidforawhile。IexpectI
doappearaveryhelplessindividual，butreallyIdonotfeelso。PerhapsIhavehadjustalittletoomuchwaitingon。\"
\"Allright。Breakfastwillbereadysoon，andafterthatwe\'lllookabouttheplace。\"
MadelinewascharmedwiththeoldSpanishhouse，andthemoreshesawofitthemoreshethoughtwhatadelightfulhomeitcouldbemade。Allthedoorsopenedintoacourtyard，orpatio，asFlorencecalledit。Thehousewaslow，intheshapeofarectangle，andsoimmenseinsizethatMadelinewonderedifithadbeenaSpanishbarracks。Manyoftheroomsweredark，withoutwindows，andtheywereempty。Otherswerefullofranchers\'implementsandsacksofgrainandbalesofhay。
Florencecalledtheselastalfalfa。Thehouseitselfappearedstrongandwellpreserved，anditwasverypicturesque。Butintheliving-roomswereonlythebarestnecessities，andthesewerewornoutandcomfortless。
However，whenMadelinewentoutdoorssheforgotthecheerless，bareinterior。Florenceledthewayoutonaporchandwavedahandatavast，coloredvoid。\"That\'swhatBilllikes，\"shesaid。
AtfirstMadelinecouldnottellwhatwasskyandwhatwasland。
Theimmensityofthescenestunnedherfacultiesofconception。
Shesatdowninoneoftheoldrocking-chairsandlookedandlooked，andknewthatshewasnotgraspingtherealityofwhatstretchedwondrouslybeforeher。
\"We\'reupattheedgeofthefoothills，\"Florencesaid。\"Yourememberwerodearoundthenorthernendofthemountainrange？
Well，that\'sbehindusnow，andyoulookdownacrossthelineintoArizonaandMexico。ThatlongslopeofgrayistheheadoftheSanBernardinoValley。StraightacrossyouseetheblackChiricahuaMountains，andawaydowntothesouththeGuadalupeMountains。Thatawfulredgulfbetweenisthedesert，andfar，farbeyondthedim，bluepeaksaretheSierraMadresinMexico。\"
Madelinelistenedandgazedwithstrainingeyes，andwonderedifthiswasonlyastupendousmirage，andwhyitseemedsodifferentfromallelsethatshehadseen，andsoendless，sobaffling，sogrand。
\"It\'llsuretakeyoualittlewhiletogetusedtobeinguphighandseeingsomuch，\"explainedFlorence。\"That\'sthesecret——
we\'reuphigh，theairisclear，andthere\'sthewholebareworldbeneathus。Don\'titsomehowrestyou？Well，itwill。Nowseethosespecksinthevalley。Theyarestations，littletowns。
Therailroadgoesdownthatway。ThelargestspeckisChiricahua。It\'soverfortymilesbytrail。HereroundtothenorthyoucanseeDonCarlos\'srancho。He\'sfifteenmilesoff，andIsurewishhewereathousand。Thatlittlegreensquareabouthalf-waybetweenhereandDonCarlos——that\'sAl\'sranch。
JustbelowusaretheadobehousesoftheMexicans。There\'sachurch，too。AndheretotheleftyouseeStillwell\'scorralsandbunk-housesandhisstablesallfallingtopieces。Theranchhasgonetoruin。Alltheranchesaregoingtoruin。Butmostofthemarelittleone-horseaffairs。Andhere——seethatcloudofdustdowninthevalley？It\'stheround-up。Theboysarethere，andthecattle。Wait，I\'llgettheglasses。\"
BytheiraidMadelinesawintheforegroundagreat，denseherdofcattlewithdark，thickstreamsanddottedlinesofcattleleadingineverydirection。Shesawstreaksandcloudsofdust，runninghorses，andabandofhorsesgrazing；andshedescriedhorsemenstandingstilllikesentinels，andothersinaction。
\"Theround-up！Iwanttoknowallaboutit——toseeit，\"declaredMadeline。\"Pleasetellmewhatitmeans，whatit\'sfor，andthentakemedownthere。\"
\"It\'ssureasight，MissHammond。I\'llbegladtotakeyoudown，butIfancyyou\'llnotwanttogoclose。FewEasternpeoplewhoregularlyeattheirchoicecutsofroastbeefandporterhousehaveanyideaoftheopenrangeandthestrugglecattlehavetoliveandthehardlifeofcowboys。It\'llsureopenyoureyes，MissHammond。I\'mgladyoucaretoknow。Yourbrotherwouldhavemadeabigsuccessinthiscattlebusinessifithadn\'tbeenforcrookedworkbyrivalranchers。He\'llmakeityet，inspiteofthem。\"
\"Indeedheshall，\"repliedMadeline。\"Buttellme，please，allabouttheround-up。\"
\"Well，inthefirstplace，everycattlemanhastohaveabrandtoidentifyhisstock。Withoutitnocattleman，norhalfahundredcowboys，ifhehadsomany，couldeverrecognizeallthecattleinabigherd。Therearenofencesonourranges。Theyareallopentoeverybody。SomedayIhopewe\'llberichenoughtofencearange。Thedifferentherdsgrazetogether。Everycalfhastobecaught，ifpossible，andbrandedwiththemarkofitsmother。
That\'snoeasyjob。Amaverickisanunbrandedcalfthathasbeenweanedandshiftsforitself。Themaverickthenbelongstothemanwhofindsitandbrandsit。Theselittlecalvesthatlosetheirmotherssurehaveacrueltimeofit。Manyofthemdie。Thenthecoyotesandwolvesandlionspreyonthem。Everyyearwehavetwobiground-ups，buttheboysdosomebrandingalltheyear。Acalfshouldbebrandedassoonasit\'sfound。Thisisasafeguardagainstcattle-thieves。Wedon\'thavetherustlingofherdsandbunchesofcattlelikeweusedto。Butthere\'salwaysthecalf-thief，andalwayswillbeaslongasthere\'scattle-raising。Thethieveshaveagoodmanycunningtricks。Theykillthecalf\'smotherorslitthecalf\'stonguesoitcan\'tsuckandsolosesitsmother。Theystealandhideacalfandwatchittillit\'sbigenoughtofareforitself，andthenbrandit。Theymakeimperfectbrandsandfinishthematalatertime。
\"Wehaveourbiground-upinthefall，whenthere\'splentyofgrassandwater，andalltheriding-stockaswellasthecattleareinfineshape。Thecattlemeninthevalleymeetwiththeircowboysanddriveinallthecattletheycanfind。Thentheybrandandcutouteachman\'sherdanddriveittowardhome。Thentheygoonupordownthevalley，makeanothercamp，anddriveinmorecattle。Ittakesweeks。TherearesomanyGreaserswithlittlebandsofstock，andtheyarecraftyandgreedy。BillsaysheknowsGreasercowboys，vaqueros，whoneverownedasteeroracow，andnowthey\'vegotgrowingherds。Thesamemightbesaidofmorethanonewhitecowboy。Butthere\'snotasmuchofthatasthereusedtobe。\"
\"Andthehorses？Iwanttoknowaboutthem，\"saidMadeline，whenFlorencepaused。
\"Oh，thecow-ponies！Well，theysureareinteresting。Broncos，theboyscallthem。Wild！they\'rewilderthanthesteerstheyhavetochase。Bill\'sgotbroncosheahthatneverhavebeenbrokenandneverwillbe。Andnoteveryboycanridethem，either。Thevaqueroshavethefinesthorses。DonCarloshasablackthatI\'dgiveanythingtoown。Andhehasotherfinestock。GeneStewart\'sbigroanisaMexicanhorse，theswiftestandproudestIeversaw。Iwasuponhimonceand——oh，hecanrun！Helikesawoman，too，andthat\'ssuresomethingIwantinahorse。IheardAlandBilltalkingatbreakfastaboutahorseforyou。Theywerewrangling。Billwantedyoutohaveone，andAlanother。Itwasfunnytohearthem。Finallytheyleftthechoicetome，untiltheround-upisover。ThenIsupposeeverycowboyontherangewillofferyouhisbestmount。Come，let\'sgoouttothecorralsandlookoverthefewhorsesleft。\"
ForMadelinethemorninghoursflewby，withagoodlypartofthetimespentontheporchgazingoutoverthatever-changingvista。
Atnoonateamsterdroveupwithhertrunks。ThenwhileFlorencehelpedtheMexicanwomangetlunchMadelineunpackedpartofhereffectsandgotoutthingsforwhichshewouldhaveimmediateneed。Afterlunchshechangedherdressforariding-habitand，goingoutside，foundFlorencewaitingwiththehorses。
TheWesterngirl\'scleareyesseemedtotakestockofMadeline\'sappearanceinoneswift，inquisitiveglanceandthenshonewithpleasure。
\"Yousurelook——you\'reapicture，MissHammond。Thatriding-outfitisanewone。Whatit\'dlooklikeonmeoranotherwomanIcan\'timagine，butonyouit\'s——it\'sstunning。
Billwon\'tletyougowithinamileofthecowboys。Iftheyseeyouthat\'llbethefinishoftheround-up。\"
WhiletheyrodedowntheslopeFlorencetalkedabouttheopenrangesofNewMexicoandArizona。
\"Waterisscarce，\"shesaid。\"IfBillcouldaffordtopipewaterdownfromthemountainshe\'dhavethefinestranchinthevalley。\"
Shewentontotellthattheclimatewasmildinwinterandhotinsummer。Warm，sunshinydaysprevailednearlyalltheyearround。Somesummersitrained，andoccasionallytherewouldbeadryyear，thedreadedanosecooftheMexicans。Rainwasalwaysexpectedandprayedforinthemidsummermonths，andwhenitcamethegrama-grasssprangup，makingthevalleysgreenfrommountaintomountain。Theintersectingvalleys，rangingbetweenthelongslopeoffoothills，affordedthebestpastureforcattle，andthesewerejealouslysoughtbytheMexicanswhohadonlysmallherdstolookafter。Stillwell\'scowboyswerealwayschasingthesevaquerosofflandthatbelongedtoStillwell。Heownedtwentythousandacresofunfencedlandadjoiningtheopenrange。
DonCarlospossessedmoreacreagethanthat，andhiscattlewerealwaysminglingwithStillwell\'s。AndinturnDonCarlos\'svaqueroswerealwayschasingStillwell\'scattleawayfromtheMexican\'swatering-place。Badfeelinghadbeenmanifestedforyears，andnowrelationswerestrainedtothebreaking-point。
AsMadelinerodealongshemadegooduseofhereyes。Thesoilwassandyandporous，andsheunderstoodwhytherainandwaterfromthefewspringsdisappearedsoquickly。Atalittledistancethegrama-grassappearedthick，butnearathanditwasseentobesparse。Bunchesofgreasewoodandcactusplantswereinterspersedhereandthereinthegrass。WhatsurprisedMadelinewasthefactthat，thoughsheandFlorencehadseemedtoberidingquiteawhile，theyhadapparentlynotdrawnanyclosertotheround-up。Theslopeofthevalleywasnoticeableonlyaftersomemileshadbeentraversed。Lookingforward，Madelineimaginedthevalleyonlyafewmileswide。Shewouldhavebeensureshecouldwalkherhorseacrossitinanhour。Yetthatblack，boldrangeofChiricahuaMountainswasdistantalongday\'sjourneyforevenahard-ridingcowboy。ItwasonlybylookingbackthatMadelinecouldgraspthetruerelationofthings；shecouldnotbedeceivedbydistanceshehadcovered。
Graduallytheblackdotsenlargedandassumedshapeofcattleandhorsesmovingroundagreatdustypatch。Inanotherhalf-hourMadelinerodebehindFlorencetotheoutskirtsofthesceneofaction。Theydrewreinnearahugewagonintheneighborhoodofwhichweremorethanahundredhorsesgrazingandwhistlingandtrottingaboutandliftingheadstowatchthenew-comers。Fourcowboysstoodmountedguardoverthisdroveofhorses。Perhapsaquarterofamilefartheroutwasadustymelee。AroaroftrampinghoofsfilledMadeline\'sears。Thelinesofmarchingcattlehadmergedintoagreat，movingherdhalfobscuredbydust。
\"Icanmakelittleofwhatisgoingon，\"saidMadeline。\"Iwanttogocloser。\"
Theytrottedacrosshalftheinterveningdistance，andwhenFlorencehaltedagainMadelinewasstillnotsatisfiedandaskedtobetakennearer。Thistime，beforetheyreinedinagain，AlHammondsawthemandwheeledhishorseintheirdirection。HeyelledsomethingwhichMadelinedidnotunderstand，andthenhaltedthem。
\"Closeenough，\"hecalled；andinthedinhisvoicewasnotveryclear。\"It\'snotsafe。Wildsteers！I\'mgladyoucame，girls。
Majesty，whatdoyouthinkofthatbunchofcattle？\"
Madelinecouldscarcelyreplywhatshethought，forthenoiseanddustandceaselessactionconfusedher。
\"They\'remilling，Al，\"saidFlorence。
\"Wejustroundedthemup。They\'remilling，andthat\'sbad。Thevaquerosareharddrivers。Theybeatusallhollow，andwedrovesome，too。\"Hewaswetwithsweat，blackwithdust，andoutofbreath。\"I\'moffnow。Flo，mysisterwillhaveenoughofthisinabouttwominutes。Takeherbacktothewagon。I\'lltellBillyou\'rehere，andruninwheneverIgetaminute。\"
Thebawlingandbellowing，thecracklingofhornsandpoundingofhoofs，thedustywhirlofcattle，andtheflyingcowboysdisconcertedMadelineandfrightenedheralittle；butshewasintenselyinterestedandmeanttostaythereuntilshesawforherselfwhatthatstrifeofsoundandactionmeant。Whenshetriedtotakeinthewholesceneshedidnotmakeoutanythingclearlyandshedeterminedtoseeitlittlebylittle。
\"Willyoustaylonger？\"askedFlorence；and，receivinganaffirmativereply，shewarnedMadeline：\"Ifarunawaysteerorangrycowcomesthiswayletyourhorsego。He\'llgetoutoftheway。\"
Thatlentthesituationexcitement，andMadelinebecameabsorbed。