and soul fill with the breath of the night;
he gave himself up to the exaltation of
mastering those trembling brutes. Mount-
ing, melodious, with even and powerful
swing he let his full notes fall on the air
in the confidence of power, and one by one
the reassured cattle would lie down again,
lowing in soft contentment, and so fall
asleep with noses stretched out in mute
attention, till their presence could hardly
be guessed except for the sweet aroma of
their cuds.
One night in the early dusk, he saw Cath-
erine Ford hastening across the prairie with
Bill Deems. He sent a halloo out to them,
which they both answered as they ran on.
Waite knew on what errand of mercy Cath-
erine was bent, and he thought of the chil-
dren over at the cabin alone. The cattle
were quiet, the night beautiful, and he con-
cluded that it was safe enough, since he was
on his pony, to ride down there about mid-
night and see that the little ones were safe.

The dark sky, pricked with points of in-
tensest light, hung over him so beneficently
that in his heart there leaped a joy which
even his ever-present sorrow could not dis-
turb. This sorrow Waite openly admitted
not only to himself, but to others. He had