Ranching for Sylvia

e Grant homestead through a vast stretch of grain. This grew on the rich black soil they call "gumbo" in the West; but here and there a belt of dark

hich included a gasoline tractor-plow, all indicated prosperity, and George recogn

t comfort demanded, for the happy mean between bareness and superfluity had been cleverly hit, and George thought Miss Grant was responsible for this. He sat beside her at the foot of the long table and noticed the

is guests into a smaller room, and

r enough," he said. "Yo

remain. He was a young, brown-faced man, and his smart khaki un

m a bit late on my roun

on fixed,"

desk, and wrote a n

ead through having rendered, at my request, valuable assistance in rou

kind of thing counts when

to George w

guards and fencing, but they'll stand by you when you're in trouble, if you treat them right. If it's a matter of st

a little outside thei

stable

wants doing badly is

e difference between an Indian and his wife. Then he once brought a hurt trapper a fortnight's journey on his sledge,

s, as well as to keep order?" suggested Edgar,

the floor, with nothing to eat, and the stove out-at forty degrees below. There was a bluff a few miles off, but they hadn't a tool of any kind to cut cor

ed and

bring them up nearer the house when the nights get darker. T

oked ast

ny years, and I've never

l always be as lucky," t

ty is as safe in the We

brok

vericks aren't the only stock to go missing in Alberta, which isn't a long way off. The boys there have the

d on the table, loo

tell me what you

the boys have nearly stopped the running of Alberta cattle across the frontier, some of the toughs they couldn't track mean to start the same

me." He turned to George. "Be careful

ora, and sauntered away across the grass with her. It was

to your father, Miss Grant," he said. "Our horses were worn out, a

see, he had once to work very hard here, and now that things have changed, he

consider him

a la

e strain of making ends meet, with the chance of being ruined by a

hat he built up

h from Ontario, but she died several years ago." The girl paused. "Sometimes I think she must ha

es, and it occurred to him that she resembled her mother in the respects she had mentioned. Nevertheless, he f

much of your tim

have had ambitious views for me. When the farm began to prosper, I was

be fond of

reserve, "I had thought

ve abandone

etly, wondering wheth

death. Then my father was badly hurt in an accident with a team, and I came

y and inclination, but George guessed it. This girl, he thou

ed the subject

with the land. I think I may say that if you have any little difficulty, or are

George resp

e on a farm in this country once

eft me a li

t brought

nusual in the West, and George was mildl

I was beginning to feel that I was taking life too

-it never occurred to him to mention it. He was trying to analyze the feelin

common among your people," Flora said mischievousl

, and I'd done nothing except a little fishing and shooting for several years. I didn't want to sink into a mere

ul stovewood home through the Canadian fros

I feel somethi

tonished him by h

nk too much; and they seemed determined to avoid discomfort at any cost. I suppose they could shoot, but they could neither strip a gun nor carry it on a long day's mar

dinner has its inconv

ch about it has its

some amusements to which they had confined their efforts. Some had become mere club loungers and tattlers; one or two had sunk into gross indulgence. This had had its effect on him:

uld call this a good countr

smears across the sweep of grass that ran on beyond them toward the vivid glow of color on the skyline. It was almost beautiful in the soft evening light, but it c

ard men; there is nothing here that can be easily won. That's

out. When they've had a crop hailed o

ou los

weather and the usual strong winds, I may lose another. The wheat's getting badly cu

knew she meant it. "But you wo

termination. "I must make a success

ions, and soon afterward the others joined them and they went back to the house. Early on the following morning, George started ho

Grant's company," he remark

eresting-I think that'

nd things; talks

ion of; in fact, I'm a little afraid of her. Though I'm nearly as old a

an of experienc

owned with humorous modesty. "For all that, I don

assumption of super

t offering her the small change of compliments that generally went well at home. If you try to say something smart, she lo

imple. Don't tr

ccused you of being, but I suspect you would make more progress with her than I could do. Extremes have a way of meeting, and

beasts straying yond

iscussion of a girl like Miss Grant to interest himself in the movements of a wandering steer. For all that, the beasts must be turned