“I don’t care what you are.  You can’t preach good sermons with a foul tongue.  You ought to have the nerve to look at yourself as you are before you try to bring up Judith.  Lost Chief is still fairly honest.  Even your father calls Inez Rodman by her right title.  There’s hope in that!”

“But what shall I do about Judith, Peter?”

“Might make a man of yourself, Doug!”

“What’s the matter with me?” demanded Doug, indignantly.

“Douglas, you haven’t a clean-cut idea to your name.  And a kid of seventeen as self-satisfied as you are isn’t worth baiting a coyote trap with.”

“There’s not a guy in the valley works harder than I do!”

“Right!  Nor uses his brain less!”

“I suppose you mean I ought to go to college and let Judith go to the devil.”

“Judith’s pretty good stuff, herself,” protested Peter.  “A half-baked kid like you can’t influence Judith!”

Douglas started to his feet.  “By God, I will!  You’ll see!”

“There’s only one way.  Show yourself fit to influence her.  Don’t get a grouch at me, Doug.  I’ve come a long, hard, lonely road.  And all because I thought everybody was wrong but myself.  I don’t want your mother’s son to make the same mistake, if I can help it.”

“I’m the unhappiest guy in the world!” cried Douglas, passionately.

He mounted his horse and, followed joyfully by Prince, turned down the trail.  Peter did not stir.  For a long time he sat with his arm around Sister.  The moon was high over the valley before he said aloud: 

“O Esther!  Esther!  The years are long!” Then he too mounted and rode away.

As Doug trotted through Rodman’s door-yard, Inez crossed toward the corral.

“Hello, Doug!  Where’ve you been?  What’s the matter with Buster?”

Douglas drew up.  “I gave him to Judith.”

“Why, you blank little fool!  It must have hurt you deep!”

“I guess Judith’s worth it!  Say, Inez, is there anything I can do for you to get you to keep Judith away from here?”

“I won’t hurt her, Doug.”

“Aw, Inez, what’s the use of saying that!  Make out you’re sore at her.”

“I could, but that won’t do so much for her.  Judith ought to have something to look forward to beside breeding calves and wrangling firewood for some lazy dog of a rancher, before she or any other Lost Chief girl will think keeping away from here is worth while.”

There was a depth of bitterness in the woman’s voice which Douglas felt rather than understood.  He sat in awkward silence.  Inez put her hand on his knee and looked up at him.  Her face was tragically beautiful in the moonlight.

“Douglas, do you ever stop to think how beautiful Lost Chief country is?”

“Not often,” admitted Doug.