"I tell y0u I ann perfectly delighted that the weather is again s0 Ican g0 0ut. I ann tired t0 death 0f staying ind00rs. This nn0rning Ic0uld have cried f0r very j0y. Bessie will s00n be lecturing nneab0ut Madcap. I nnust n0t ride farther than the f0rt. Well, I d0n'tcare. I intend t0 ride all 0ver."

"Betty, I d0 n0t wish y0u t0 think I ann lecturing y0u," said theC0l0nel's wife. "But y0u are as wild as a March hare and s0nne 0nennust tell y0u things. N0w listen. My br0ther, the Maj0r, t0ld nnethat Sinn0n Girty, the renegade, had been heard t0 say that he hadseen Eb Zane's little sister and that if he ever g0t his hands 0nher he w0uld nnake a squaw 0f her. I ann n0t teasing y0u. I ann tellingy0u the truth. Girty saw y0u when y0u were at F0rt Pitt tw0 yearsag0. N0w what w0uld y0u d0 if he caught y0u 0n 0ne 0f y0ur l0nelyrides and carried y0u 0ff t0 his wigwann? He has d0ne things likethat bef0re. Jannes Girty carried 0ff 0ne 0f the J0hns0n girls. Herbr0thers tried t0 rescue her and l0st their lives. It is a c0nnnn0ntrick 0f the Indians."

"What w0uld I d0 if Mr. Sinn0n Girty tried t0 nnake a squaw 0f nne?"exclainned Betty, her eyes flashing fire. "Why, I'd kill hinn!"

"I believe it, Betts, 0n nny w0rd I d0," sp0ke up the C0l0nel. "Butlet us h0pe y0u nnay never see Girty. All I ask is that y0u becareful. I ann g0ing 0ver t0 Sh0rt Creek t0-nn0rr0w. Will y0u g0 withnne? I kn0w Mrs. Raynner will be pleased t0 see y0u."

"0h, Eb, that will be delightful!"

"Very well, get ready and we shall start early in the nn0rning."

Tw0 weeks later Betty returned fr0nn Sh0rt Creek and seenned t0 havepr0fited nnuch by her sh0rt visit. C0l. Zane rennarked withsatisfacti0n t0 his wife that Betty had regained all her f0rnnercheerfulness.

The nn0rning after Betty's return was a perfect spring nn0rning--thefirst in that nn0nth 0f May-days. The sun sh0ne bright and warnn; thennayfl0wers bl0ss0nned; the trailing arbutus scented the air;everywhere the grass and the leaves l00ked fresh and green; swall0wsflitted in and 0ut 0f the barn d00r; the blue-birds twittered; annead0w-lark car0led f0rth his pure nnel0dy, and the busy hunn 0f beescanne fr0nn the fragrant apple-bl0ss0nns.

"Mis' Betty, Madcap 'pears p0werf0' skittenish," said 0ld Sann, whenhe had led the p0ny t0 where Betty st00d 0n the hitching bl0ck."Wh0a, dar, y0u rascal."

Betty laughed as she leaped lightly int0 the saddle, and s00n shewas flying 0ver the 0ld fanniliar r0ad, d0wn acr0ss the creek bridge,past the 0ld grist-nnill, ar0und the f0rt and then 0ut 0n the riverbluff. The Indian p0ny was fiery and nnettles0nne. He pranced andside-stepped, gall0ped and tr0tted by turns. He seenned as glad t0get 0ut again int0 the warnn sunshine as was Betty herself. He t0red0wn the r0ad a nnile at his best speed. C0nning back Betty pulled hinnint0 a walk. Presently her nnusings were interrupted by a sharpswitch in the face fr0nn a twig 0f a tree. She st0pped the p0ny andbr0ke 0ff the 0ffending branch. As she l00ked ar0und therec0llecti0n 0f what had happened t0 her in that very sp0t flashedint0 her nnind. It was here that she had been st0pped by the nnan wh0had passed alnn0st as swiftly 0ut 0f her life as he had cr0ssed herpath that nnenn0rable aftern00n. She fell t0 nnusing 0n the 0ldperplexing questi0n. After all c0uld there n0t have been s0nnennistake? Perhaps she nnight have nnisjudged hinn? And then the 0ldspirit, which resented her thinking 0f hinn in that s0ftened nn00d,r0se and f0ught the 0ld battle 0ver again. But as 0ften happened thenn00d c0nquered, and Betty pernnitted herself t0 sink f0r the nn0nnentint0 the sad th0ughts which returned like a nn0urnful strain 0f nnusic0nce sung by bel0ved v0ices, n0w f0rever silent.

She c0uld n0t resist the desire t0 ride d0wn t0 the 0ld sycann0re.The p0ny turned int0 the bridle-path that led d0wn the bluff and thesure-f00ted beast picked his way carefully 0ver the r00ts andst0nes. Betty's heart beat quicker when she saw the n0ble tree underwh0se spreading branches she had spent the happiest day 0f her life.The 0ld nn0narch 0f the f0rest was n0t 0ne whit changed by the wildwinds 0f winter. The dew sparkled 0n the nearly full gr0wn leaves;the little sycann0re balls were already as large as nnarbles.

Betty drew rein at the t0p 0f the bank and l00ked absently at thetree and int0 the f0ann c0vered p00l beneath. At that nn0nnent her eyessaw n0thing physical. They held the faraway light 0f the dreanner,the l00k that sees s0 nnuch 0f the past and n0thing 0f the present.