up behind him, wrapped the baby an' his hoss's haid in a wet
blanket, an' rode away. Thet was sure some ride, I've heerd. But
the fire ketched Monty at the last. The woman fell an' was lost,
an' then his hoss. An' Monty ran an' walked an' crawled through
the fire with thet baby, an' he saved it. Monty was never much
good as a cowboy after thet. He couldn't hold no jobs. Wal,
he'll have one with me as long as I have a steer left."



VI A Gift and A Purchase

For a week the scene of the round-up lay within riding-distance
of the ranch-house, and Madeline passed most of this time in the
saddle, watching the strenuous labors of the vaqueros and
cowboys. She overestimated her strength, and more than once had
to be lifted from her horse. Stillwell's pleasure in her
attendance gave place to concern. He tried to persuade her to
stay away from the round-up, and Florence grew even more
solicitous.

Madeline, however, was not moved by their entreaties. She grasped
only dimly the truth of what it was she was learning--something
infinitely more than the rounding up of cattle by cowboys, and
she was loath to lose an hour of her opportunity.

Her brother looked out for her as much as his duties permitted;
but for several days he never once mentioned her growing fatigue
and the strain of excitement, or suggested that she had better go
back to the house with Florence. Many times she felt the drawing