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separated； by chance or error； from what the heart hungered
most for。 But this great experience； when all its
significance had clarified in his mind； immeasurably
broadened his understanding of the principles of nature
applied to life。
Love had been in him stronger than in most men； because of
his keen； vigorous； lonely years in the forest； where health
of mind and body were intensified and preserved。 How simple；
how natural； how inevitable！ He might have loved any
fine…spirited； healthy…bodied girl。 Like a tree shooting its
branches and leaves； its whole entity； toward the sunlight；
so had he grown toward a woman's love。 Why？ Because the
thing he revered in nature； the spirit； the universal； the
life that was God； had created at his birth or before his
birth the three tremendous instincts of nature to fight
for life； to feed himself； to reproduce his kind。 That was
all there was to it。 But oh！ the mystery； the beauty； the
torment； and the terror of this third instinct this
hunger for the sweetness and the glory of a woman's love！
CHAPTER XVI
Helen Rayner dropped her knitting into her lap and sat
pensively gazing out of the window over the bare yellow
ranges of her uncle's ranch。
The winter day was bright； but steely； and the wind that
whipped down from the white…capped mountains had a keen；
frosty edge。 A scant snow lay in protected places； cattle
stood bunched in the lee of ridges； low sheets of dust
scurried across the flats。
The big living…room of the ranch…house was warm and
comfortable with its red adobe walls； its huge stone
fireplace where cedar logs blazed； and its many…colored
blankets。 Bo Rayner sat before the fire； curled up in an
armchair； absorbed in a book。 On the floor lay the hound
Pedro； his racy； fine head stretched toward the warmth。
〃Did uncle call？〃 asked Helen； with a start out of her
reverie。
〃I didn't hear him；〃 replied Bo。
Helen rose to tiptoe across the floor； and； softly parting
some curtains； she looked into the room where her uncle lay。
He was asleep。 Sometimes he called out in his slumbers。 For
weeks now he had been confined to his bed； slowly growing
weaker。 With a sigh Helen returned to her window…seat and
took up her work。
〃Bo； the sun is bright；〃 she said。 〃The days are growing
longer。 I'm so glad。〃
〃Nell； you're always wishing time away。 For me it passes
quickly enough；〃 replied the sister。
〃But I love spring and summer and fall and I guess I hate
winter；〃 returned Helen； thoughtfully。
The yellow ranges rolled away up to the black ridges and
they in turn swept up to the cold； white mountains。 Helen's
gaze seemed to go beyond that snowy barrier。 And Bo's keen
eyes studied her sister's earnest； sad face。
〃Nell； do you ever think of Dale？〃 she queried； suddenly。
The question startled Helen。 A slow blush suffused neck and
cheek。
〃Of course；〃 she replied； as if surprised that Bo should ask
such a thing。
〃I I shouldn't have asked that；〃 said Bo； softly； and
then bent again over her book。
Helen gazed tenderly at that bright； bowed head。 In this
swift…flying； eventful； busy winter； during which the
management of the ranch had devolved wholly upon Helen； the
little sister had grown away from her。 Bo had insisted upon
her own free will and she had followed it； to the amusement
of her uncle； to the concern of Helen； to the dismay and
bewilderment of the faithful Mexican housekeeper； and to the
undoing of all the young men on the ranch。
Helen had always been hoping and waiting for a favorable
hour in which she might find this wilful sister once more
susceptible to wise and loving influence。 But while she
hesitated to speak； slow footsteps and a jingle of spurs
sounded without； and then came a timid knock。 Bo looked up
brightly and ran to open the door。
〃Oh！ It's only YOU！〃 she uttered； in withering scorn； to
the one who knocked。
Helen thought she could guess who that was。
〃How are you…all？〃 asked a drawling voice。
〃Well； Mister Carmichael； if that interests you I'm quite
ill；〃 replied Bo； freezingly。
〃Ill！ Aw no； now？〃
〃It's a fact。 If I don't die right off I'll have to be taken
back to Missouri；〃 said Bo； casually。
〃Are you goin' to ask me in？〃 queried Carmichael； bluntly。
〃It's cold an' I've got somethin' to say to 〃
〃To ME？ Well； you're not backward； I declare；〃 retorted Bo。
〃Miss Rayner； I reckon it 'll be strange to you findin'
out I didn't come to see you。〃
〃Indeed！ No。 But what was strange was the deluded idea I had
that you meant to apologize to me like a gentleman。 。
。 e in； Mr。 Carmichael。 My sister is here。〃
The door closed as Helen turned round。 Carmichael stood just
inside with his sombrero in hand； and as he gazed at Bo his
lean face seemed hard。 In the few months since autumn he had
changed aged； it seemed； and the once young； frank；
alert； and careless cowboy traits had merged into the making
of a man。 Helen knew just how much of a man he really was。
He had been her mainstay during all the complex working of
the ranch that had fallen upon her shoulders。
〃Wal； I reckon you was deluded； all right if you thought
I'd crawl like them other lovers of yours；〃 he said； with
cool deliberation。
Bo turned pale； and her eyes fairly blazed； yet even in what
must have been her fury Helen saw amaze and pain。
〃OTHER lovers？ I think the biggest delusion here is the way
you flatter yourself；〃 replied Bo； stingingly。
〃Me flatter myself？ Nope。 You don't savvy me。 I'm shore
hatin' myself these days。〃
〃Small wonder。 I certainly hate you with all my heart！〃
At this retort the cowboy dropped his head and did not see
Bo flaunt herself out of the room。 But he heard the door
close； and then slowly came toward Helen。
〃Cheer up； Las Vegas；〃 said Helen； smiling。 〃Bo's
hot…tempered。〃
〃Miss Nell； I'm just like a dog。 The meaner she treats me
the more I love her；〃 he replied； dejectedly。
To Helen's first instinct of liking for this cowboy there
had been added admiration； respect； and a growing
appreciation of strong； faithful； developing character。
Carmichael's face and hands were red and chapped from winter
winds； the leather of wrist…bands； belt； and boots was all
worn shiny and thin； little streaks of dust fell from him as
he breathed heavily。 He no longer looked the dashing cowboy；
ready for a dance or lark or fight。
〃How in the world did you offend her so？〃 asked Helen。 〃Bo
is furious。 I never saw her so angry as that。〃
〃Miss Nell； it was jest this way；〃 began Carmichael。 〃Shore
Bo's knowed I was in love with her。 I asked her to marry me
an' she wouldn't say yes or no。 。 。 。 An'； mean as it sounds
she never run away from it； thet's shore。 We've had some
quarrels two of them bad； an' this last's the worst。〃
〃Bo told me about one quarrel；〃 said Helen。 〃It was
because you drank that time。〃
〃Shore it was。 She took one of her cold spells an' I jest
got drunk。〃
〃But that was wrong；〃 protested Helen。
〃I ain't so shore。 You see； I used to get drunk often
before I come here。 An' I've been drunk only once。 Back at
Las Vegas the ou