Douglas was following his own line of thought.  “The Mormons are right,” he said.  “It’s the families that count.  A man can’t do real pioneering without a woman and Lost Chief is still pioneering.  The right kind of a woman could do more for Lost Chief than a man.”

Judith looked at him with gathering intentness.  “How could she, Doug?”

“Why, look at the influence Inez has!  She’s thought it worth while to influence people, so’s to justify her way of living.  She’s beautiful and she’s bad.  If a woman who was beautiful and good made up her mind to make Lost Chief the paradise it ought to be, nothing could stop her.”

“If she had the church to back her,” said Elijah Nelson.

Douglas nodded; then, his face aflame, he jumped to his feet.  “If Jude and I could work together in Lost Chief we’d—­My God, do you know what I’d do?  I’d rebuild the cabin and I’d rebuild the chapel.  And we’d bring Mr. Fowler back.  And Judith and I would go to church to him and we’d hunt for God till we found Him!  And when we found Him, we’d go out and bring the children of the Valley to the church.  It’s the children that count.  We’d dish all this discussion with the grown folks.  All the Scotts and Charletons and Inez Rodmans in the Valley wouldn’t count if the children would be sure of God.”  He turned to Judith.  “You’ll admit, won’t you, Jude, that if you and I had had faith, our childhood would have been a finer thing?”

“Yes, I think that’s true,” admitted Judith.  “Do you think there’s a job there for me, Mr. Fowler, all faithless as I am?”

Mr. Fowler nodded.  “Yes, I do.  Lost Chief offers a full-sized job to a woman with a brain and the right kind of a vision.  She could, indeed, help to make it a very paradise for children.”

“If the church didn’t hamper her too much.”  Mrs. Nelson spoke for the first time.  “The church and God are both males.”

Judith gave the Mormon wife a sudden appreciative smile.  Douglas, watching the girl’s kindling face, said in his gentle way, “I’ve often thought if anybody could get the right kind of a moral hold on the kids of Lost Chief, the greatest horsemanship in the world could be developed in that old valley.”

“You are dreaming dreams!” exclaimed Nelson.  “All this takes time, and you Lost Chief folks want to realize that the Mormons are coming!”

Judith eyed her host keenly; then she turned to Douglas with overwhelming interest welling to her eyes.  “This is the first time,” she cried, “that you’ve ever suggested any kind of a future to me that made a demand on my intelligence.  Mr. Nelson, have you really got your eyes on Lost Chief Valley, or are you just trying to bluff Douglas into going back because you like him?”

The Mormon’s eyes narrowed and his jaw set.  “I like him, yes, but the church says we are to take Lost Chief Valley, and we are going to take it when the time is ripe.  I can afford to be as kind as I want to be to Douglas and Fowler.  Nothing can stop us when we cross into your valley with the church behind us.  You folks hang together by habit.  We Mormons are knit together by a divine idea that takes care of every moment of our lives.  Do you think a man like Scott Parsons can guard your gates?  And Douglas is running away!”