The old, futile bitterness was on him again, and he was quite as bitter at Judith as at his father.  Of what could the girl be thinking?  What did girls think about men like John, or any other men for that matter?  If only there were some woman to whom he might go for advice.  Grandma Brown?  No; he had talked to her once and she had failed him.  Charleton’s wife had failed with her own daughter.  There remained Inez Rodman, who knew Judith better than any one else knew her.  Inez!  Doug’s mind dwelt long on this name.  But he felt sure that the woman of the Yellow Canyon had forgotten what she had thought and felt at sixteen.  And, after all, he did not want again to see life through Inez’ eyes.  Long after the rest of the family slept, Douglas pursued his weary and futile self-examination, coming to a blind wall at the end.

The next day John mentioned casually that he and Judith had settled on taking the trip to Mountain City together.  Douglas made no comment.  Not that he had any intention of allowing Judith to make the trip under such circumstances, but he knew that for the present he could only bide his time.

CHAPTER IX

THE TRIP TO MOUNTAIN CITY

“Don’t think.  Just whistle.  And always keep your poncho on the back of the saddle for when it rains.”

—­Jimmy Day.

Lost Chief was very proud of Judith’s invitation and deeply interested in her preparations for the contest.  Every day, now, she put Sioux and Whoop-la through their paces.  Late in the afternoon when she was working the animals in the corral, it seldom happened that one of Lost Chief’s riders was not perched on the buck fence, watching her and criticizing her and always assuring her, with the cowman’s pessimism toward the outer world, that she had no chance of winning a prize.

Douglas watched the preparations with deep interest, but said nothing further against the trip.  He usually joined the audience on the buck fence and smoked as he watched the really wonderful work in the corral.

One brilliant afternoon Grandma Brown and old Johnny rode up.  Jimmy Day already was perched on the fence.

“Well,” called Grandma, “I hear you’ve finally reached the goal of your ambition, Judith.”

Judith, leaving Sioux for the moment, strolled over toward the old lady.  “Who told you that, Grandma?”

“Well, ain’t you?”

“I don’t know what my goal is, but it sure isn’t this.”

“I’m glad you haven’t lost your head entirely,” said the old lady.  “Jimmy, I wish you’d ask Little Marion to come over and help me out for a day or so.  Lulu is coming home for a little visit.”

“I’ll ask her,” said Jimmy.  “But she won’t come.  She isn’t so well.  You’d better stop by and see her.”

Old Johnny suddenly laughed.  “He depones like you was a doctor that went out to make visits, Sister.”