to the hills with straps flying.

"By George!," ejaculated Sir Redmond, gazing helplessly after them. "But
this is a beastly bit of luck, don't you know!"

"Oh, you Hawk--" Dick, in consideration of his companions, finished the
remark in the recesses of his troubled soul, where the ladies could not
overhear.

"What comes next, Dick?" The voice of Beatrice was frankly curious.

"Next, I'll have to wade out and take after those--" This sentence,
also, was rounded out mentally.

"In the meantime, what shall we do?"

"You'll stay where you are--and thank the good Lord you were not upset.
I'm sorry,"--turning so that he could look deprecatingly at Miss
Hayes--"your welcome to the West has been so--er--strenuous. I'll try
and make it up to you, once you get to the ranch. I hope you won't let
this give you a dislike of the country."

"Oh, no," said the spinster politely. "I'm sure it is a--a very nice
country, Mr. Lansell."

"Well, there's nothing to be done sitting here." Dick climbed down over
the dashboard into the mud and water.

Sir Redmond was not the man to shirk duty because it happened to be
disagreeable, as the regiment whose name was engraved upon his cane