‘So long,’ answered Howard.

Carr gone from sight, Howard stood musing a moment, unconscious of Helen’s wondering eyes upon him.  Then he turned to her and began speaking of his friend:  big and generous and manly was Carr; a man to tie to, and, though he did not say it in so many words, a man to die for.  He explained how Carr had taken the old Diaz ranch that had been Spanish and then Mexican in its time and had made it over into what it was, the greatest stock run north of the Rio Grande and west of the Mississippi.  Helen’s interest was ready and sympathetic, and Howard passed from one point to another until he had sketched the way in which the ranch had been sold to him.  And the girl, though she knew little enough about business methods, was startled to learn how these two men trusted each other.  She recalled what Carr had said; between him and Howard a deal involving many thousands of dollars was as simple a matter as the sale of a horse.  The two, riding together, had in a few words agreed upon price and terms.  They had returned to the house and Howard had written a cheque for seven thousand dollars as first payment; all of his ready cash, he admitted freely, saving what he must keep on hand for ranch manipulation.  There was no deed given, no deed of trust, no mortgage.  It was understood that Howard should pay certain sums at certain specified dates; each man had jotted down his memoranda in his own hand; the deal was made.

‘But,’ gasped Helen, ’if anything unforeseen should happen?  If—­if he should die?  Or you?  If——­’

‘In any case there would be one of us left, wouldn’t there?’ he countered in his off-hand way.  ’Unless we both went out, and then what difference?  He has no one to look out for; neither have I. Besides,’ he laughed carelessly, ’John and I both plan on being on the job a good fifty years from now.  Come out here and I’ll show you a real horse.’

She went with him to the porch.  Carr was leaving the stable, riding Bel.  Helen knew little enough of horseflesh and yet she understood that here was an animal to catch anyone’s eye; yes, and Carr, sitting massive and stalwart in the saddle, was a man to hold any woman’s.  The horse was a big, bright bay; mane and tail were like fine gold; the sun winked back from them and from the glorious reddish hide.  Carr saw them and waved his hat; Bel danced sideways and whirled, and for an instant stood upon his rear legs, his thin, aristocratic forelegs flaying the air.  Then came Carr’s deep bass laugh; the polished hoofs struck the ground and they were off, flashing away across the meadowlands.

‘Some day,’ said Helen, her eyes sparkling, ’I want to ride a horse like that!’ She turned to him, asking eagerly, ‘Could I learn?’

’If with all my heart I wanted to be a first-rate Philadelphia lawyer or a third-rate San Francisco politician,’ he announced with that sweeping positiveness which was one of his characteristics, ’I’d consider the job done to start with!  All you’ve got to do is to want a thing, want it hard, and it’s as good as yours.  Now, to begin with, you love a horse.  The rest is easy.’