"Wasn't it fine, Carley?" asked Glenn. "But nothing to what you will

experience. I hope you stay till the weather gets warm. I want you to

see a summer dawn on the Painted Desert, and a noon with the great white

clouds rolling up from the horizon, and a sunset of massed purple and

gold. If they do not get you then I'll give up."

Carley murmured something of her appreciation of what she had just seen.

Part of his remark hung on her ear, thought-provoking and disturbing. He

hoped she would stay until summer! That was kind of him. But her visit

must be short and she now intended it to end with his return East with

her. If she did not persuade him to go he might not want to go for a

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while, as he had written--"just yet." Carley grew troubled in mind. Such

mental disturbance, however, lasted no longer than her return with Glenn

to camp, where the mustang Spillbeans stood ready for her to mount. He

appeared to put one ear up, the other down, and to look at her with mild

surprise, as if to say: "What--hello--tenderfoot! Are you going to ride

me again?"

Carley recalled that she had avowed she would ride him. There was no

alternative, and her misgivings only made matters worse. Nevertheless,

once in the saddle, she imagined she had the hallucination that to

ride off so, with the long open miles ahead, was really thrilling. This

remarkable state of mind lasted until Spillbeans began to trot, and

then another day of misery beckoned to Carley with gray stretches of

distance.

She was to learn that misery, as well as bliss, can swallow up the

hours. She saw the monotony of cedar trees, but with blurred eyes; she

saw the ground clearly enough, for she was always looking down, hoping

for sandy places or rocky places where her mustang could not trot.

At noon the cavalcade ahead halted near a cabin and corral, which turned

out to be a sheep ranch belonging to Hutter. Here Glenn was so busy that

he had no time to devote to Carley. And Flo, who was more at home on

a horse than on the ground, rode around everywhere with the men. Most

assuredly Carley could not pass by the chance to get off Spillbeans and

to walk a little. She found, however, that what she wanted most was to

rest. The cabin was deserted, a dark, damp place with a rank odor. She

did not stay long inside.

Rain and snow began to fall, adding to what Carley felt to be a

disagreeable prospect. The immediate present, however, was cheered by

a cup of hot soup and some bread and butter which the herder Charley

brought her. By and by Glenn and Hutter returned with Flo, and all

partook of some lunch.




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