Douglas’ cheeks were burning.  He jerked the suitcase from the table and started for the door.

“Believe me, cowman,” called Scott after him, “you and the sky pilot have laid out a course of trouble for yourselves.”

Douglas paused with his hand on the latch.  “You are a pack of coyotes!” he said and he slammed the door after himself.

And so the secret was out!  Nothing that had occurred in the Valley for years had stirred the ranchers so deeply.  There was much joking and derisive laughter but beneath this was a sense of resentment that grew day by day.  Grandma Brown, Peter of course, and Frank Day were sympathetic to the idea.  Some of the older women wondered if it might not be a good thing in giving the young fry a place to go on Sundays.  But the young fry, with huge enjoyment not untinged with malice, planned to run the preacher out of the Valley in short order and to mete out such treatment to Douglas as would prevent his making a like fool of himself again.

Douglas had set up housekeeping in the new cabin now, and on the night before he expected Mr. Fowler, Judith rode up to see his new home.  Old Johnny had gone down to the post-office and Douglas finished his supper and was sitting on the doorstep when Judith galloped up, with the Wolf Cub under the heels of her mount.

“This is my first real ride on the little wild mare,” she said, dropping from the saddle.

“Has she gotten over her homesickness, yet?” asked Douglas.

“I think so.  At least, she follows me around about as close as Wolf Cub does.”

“You are a wonder, Judith!  I wish you thought as much of me as you do of your horses and dog.”

“You wouldn’t let me train you, Doug,” said Judith plaintively.

Douglas laughed.  “A whole lot you’d think of a man you could train!”

Judith laughed, too, sitting down on the step beside Douglas.  For a moment she was silent, then she said softly:  “How you must love it up here!”

“I do!  But I’ll be glad when old Johnny can be with me all the time.  I don’t like this bachelor stuff.”

“You and Scott ought to join forces,” Judith’s voice was mischievous.  “By the way, Scott’s heard of a standard bred mare he can get me for five hundred dollars.”

“I wouldn’t trust Scott to pick a horse for me,” grunted Douglas.

“And you’d be foolish if you did,” agreed Judith.  “But he’ll play fair enough with me.”

“He will if it’s to his interest to do so.  If he can make anything off you by being crooked, he’ll be crooked.  But I suppose there’s no use in me warning you.  Have you got the money for the mare?”

“Only half of it.  All the stock I’ve been able to raise and sell in the last five years amounts to about two hundred and fifty-six dollars.”

“I’ll lend you the rest,” offered Douglas.

“Dad said he’d let me have it, and so did Inez.  But I’d rather borrow from you.”