sharply to the left, and, clambering round an immense shoulder of rock,
it emerged upon a long and comparatively level ridge of land that rolled
in gentle undulations down into a wide park-like valley set out with
clumps of birch and poplar, with here and there the shimmer of a lake
showing between the yellow and brown of the leaves.

"Oh, what a picture!" cried Mandy, reining up her pony. "What a ranch
that would make, Allan! Who owns it? Why did we never come this way
before?"

"Piegan Reserve," said her husband briefly.

"How beautiful! How did they get this particular bit?"

"They gave up a lot for it," said Cameron drily.

"But think, such a lovely bit of country for a few Indians! How many are
there?"

"Some hundreds. Five hundred or so. And a tricky bunch they are. They're
over-fond of cattle to be really desirable neighbors."

"Well, I think it rather a pity!"

"Look yonder!" cried her husband, sweeping his arm toward the eastern
horizon. From the height on which they stood a wonderful panorama of
hill and valley, river, lake and plain lay spread out before them. "All
that and for nine hundred miles beyond that line these Indians and their
kin gave up to us under persuasion. There was something due them, eh?
Let's move on."