with purple; the other was a young girl, not more
than seventeen, his daughter, with a face sweet
and alert, and a mass of chestnut hair -- all
imparting a certain esthetic beauty. Like the man,
the girl was ruddy of complexion, though hers
was the bloom of youth, while his was toll taken
from suns and winds of the desert. The girl was
the first to discover the colt.

"Daddy!" she exclaimed, placing a restraining
hand upon the other. "Whose beautiful colt is
that?"

The Judge pulled down his horse and leaned
far out over the side. "Why, I don't know, dear!"
he replied, after a moment, then turned his eyes
to the rear. "He must belong with some team
in that crush."

The girl regarded the colt with increasing rapture.
"Isn't he a perfect dear!" she went on.
"Look at him, daddy!" she suddenly urged, delightedly.
"He's dying to know why we stopped!"
Which, indeed, the colt looked to be, since he had
come to a stop with the mare and now was regarding
them curiously. "I'd love to pet him!"

The Judge frowned. "We're late for luncheon,"
he declared, and again gazed to the rear. "We'd
better take him along with us out to the ranch.
To-morrow I'll advertise him in the papers."
And he shook up the mare. "We'd better go
along, Helen."

"Just one minute, daddy!" persisted the girl,
gathering up her white skirts and, as the Judge
pulled down, leaping lightly out of the phaeton.

[[36]]

p035 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p036w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p037

v?