Henders," he agreed, but waiting for Wainright to make the first move to leave. The latter paused to roll a cigarette--an accomplishment that he had only recently brought to a state even approximating perfection. He used both hands and was rather slow. Colby eyed him, guessing that he was merely fighting for time in order to force the foreman to go first. Slowly the latter withdrew his own pouch of tobacco from his shirt pocket.

"Reckon I'll roll a smoke by the light of your fire, Di, before I do," he remarked.

He creased the paper, poured in a little tobacco, and, as he drew the pouch closed with his teeth and left hand, deftly rolled the cigarette with his right, bending it slightly in the center to keep it from opening up. Wainright realized that if he had -a conversational advantage over Colby there were other activities in which the foreman greatly outshone him. Rolling a smoke was one of them and that was doubtless why Colby had chosen to roll one at a moment that odious comparison might be made.

Wainright lighted his and shifted to the other foot. Would Colby never leave! Colby permitted three matches to burn out before he finally succeeded in getting a light, thus gaining a considerable advantage in time over Wainright. Elias Henders had repaired to his blankets, just beyond Diana's tent and out of sight.

The girl realized the game that the two men were playing and could scarce repress an inclination to laughter. She wondered which would win, or if she would have to call it a draw and send them both about their business. Wainright decided the matter.

"Come on, Colby," he said, throwing an arm about the other's shoulders, "we're keeping Miss Henders up. Good night, Miss Henders," and raising his hat he moved off, taking Colby with him. They had taken about twenty steps when Wainright halted and wheeled about.

"Oh, I say, Miss Henders," he called, "there's something I wanted to ask you," and he started back. "Don't wait, for me, Colby," he threw over his shoulder; "I'll be along in a moment."

Colby glared at the other's retreating back through the darkness, hurled his cigarette to the ground and stamped away. out-generated. "I'll get him yet," he mumbled. "He may be pretty slick at them parlor tricks, but they ain't many parlors in Arizona. The damn dude!"

Wainright rejoined Diana by the fire. "It's too beautiful an evening to go to bed," he said, "and I haven't had half a chance to talk with you. Colby hangs around as though he had a mortgage on your time and was going to foreclose. He sort of puts a damper on conversation unless it revolves about cows-that's all he can talk about."

"It's a subject that is always of interest to us out here," replied the girl loyally. "Cows are really our lives, you know."

"Oh. that's all right, for men; but there are other things in life for a girl like you, Miss Henders. You deserve something better than cows-and cowboys. You love music and books, and you can't deny that you like to talk about them. You belong East-you belong back in Boston."

"We're going back, not to Boston, but to New York, after the round-up-Dad and I," she told him.

"No! really? How funny! I've got to go back too. Maybe we could all go together."

"That would be fine," she agreed.

"Wouldn't you like to stay back there?" he asked, almost excitedly, and then quite unexpectedly he took her hand. "Miss Henders!" he exclaimed. "Diana! Wouldn't you like to stay there always? I'd make a home for you there-I'd make you happy-I love you, Diana. We could be married before we left.