now? You boys all know that Stella's engaged to me, don't you? What's
the good of keeping her in suspense? Go on to the ranch, right away."

"I told you your head wasn't working just right," jeered Nueces. "We
want to give you a good start. They'll be after you again, and you're
in no fix to do any hard riding. But one of us will go. Breslin, you
go."

"Too late," observed Anastacio quietly. There is Miss Vorhis now, with
her father. They're climbing to the Gap. Go on, Foy."

"They've got a led horse," said Nueces as Stella and the Major came
to the highest point of the Gap. "Who's that for? Chris? But they
couldn't know about Chris. And how did they get here so quick? Don't
seem like they've had hardly time."

Stella dismounted; she pressed on up the hill to meet her lover. The
first sunshafts struck into the Gap, lit up the narrow walls with red
glory.

"_Magic Casements!_" thought Pringle.

"Watch Foy get over the ground!" said Anastacio. "He'll break his neck
before he gets down. I don't blame him. He's nearly down. Look the
other way, boys!"

They looked the other way, and there were none to see that meeting.
Unless, perhaps, the gods looked down from high Olympus--the poor
immortals--and turned away, disconsolate, to the cheerless fields of
asphodel.