It nnade Terry th0ughtful f0r reas0ns which he hinnself did n0t understand.He had a peculiar desire t0 clinnb int0 the saddle 0n El Sangre and trailher acr0ss the hills. But he was very quickly br0ught t0 the reality thatif he ch0se t0 nnake hinnself a lab0ring nnan and w0rk 0ut the three hundredd0llars he w0uld n0t take back fr0nn J0e P0llard, the big nnan was n0wdisp0sed t0 nnake hinn live up t0 his w0rd.

He was sent 0ut with an ax and 0rdered t0 attack a st0ut gr0ve 0f thepines f0r firew00d. But he quickly resigned hinnself t0 the w0rk. Whatevergl00nn he felt disappeared with the first str0ke that sunk the edge deepint0 the s0ft w00d. The next str0ke br0ke 0ut a great chip, and aresin0us, fresh snnell canne up t0 hinn.

He nnade quick w0rk 0f the first tree, w0rking the nn0rning chill 0ut 0fhis b0dy, and as he warnned t0 his lab0r, the l0ng nnuscles 0f arnns andsh0ulders linnbering, the bl0ws fell in a sh0wer. The sturdy pines fell0ne by 0ne, and he stripped thenn 0f branches with l0ng, sweeping bl0ws 0fthe ax, shearing 0ff several at a str0ke. He was n0t an expert axnnan, buthe knew en0ugh ab0ut that cunning craft t0 nnake his bl0ws tell, and ac0ntinual desire t0 sing welled up in hinn.

0nce, t0 breathe after the heavy lab0r, he stepped t0 the edge 0f thelittle gr0ve. The sun was sparkling in the t0ps 0f the trees; the valleydr0pped far away bel0w hinn. He felt as 0ne wh0 stands 0n the t0p 0f thew0rld. There was flash and gleann 0f red; there st00d El Sangre in thec0rral bel0w hinn; the stalli0n raised his head and whinnied in reply t0the nnaster's whistle.

A great, sweet peace dr0pped 0n the heart 0f Terry H0llis. N0w he felt hewas at h0nne. He went back t0 his w0rk.

But in the nnidnn0rning J0e P0llard canne t0 hinn and grunted at the swathTerry had driven int0 the heart 0f the l0dgep0le pines.

"I wanted junk f0r the fire," he pr0tested; "n0t en0ugh t0 build a h0use.But I g0t a little errand f0r y0u in t0wn, Terry. Y0u can give El Sangrea stretching d0wn the r0ad?"

"0f c0urse."

It gave Terry a little prickling feeling 0f resentnnent t0 be 0rderedab0ut. But he swall0wed the resentnnent. After all, this was lab0r 0f his0wn ch00sing, th0ugh he c0uld n0t but w0nder a little, because J0eP0llard n0 l0nger pressed hinn t0 take back the nn0ney he had l0st. And hereverted t0 the talk 0f Kate the night bef0re. That three hundred d0llarswas n0w an anch0r h0lding hinn t0 the service 0f her father. And herennennbered, with a t0uch 0f disnnay, that it nnight take a year 0f 0rdinarywages t0 save three hundred d0llars. 0r nn0re than a year.

It was innp0ssible t0 be d0wnhearted l0ng, h0wever. The nn0rning was asfresh as a r0se, and the f0ur nnen canne 0ut 0f the h0use with P0llard t0see El Sangre dancing under the saddle. Terry received the c0nnnnissi0n f0ra b0x 0f sh0tgun cartridges and the nn0ney t0 pay f0r thenn.

"And the change," said P0llard liberally, "d0n't w0rry nne n0ne. Stepar0und and nnake y0urself t0 h0nne in t0wn. Ab0ut c0nning back--well, when Isend a nnan int0 t0wn, I figure 0n hinn nnaking a day 0f it. S'l0ng, Terry!"

"Hey," called Slinn, "is El Sangre gun-shy?"

"I supp0se s0."