“Bill says an aeroplane came and stampeded all you boys yesterday,” she began with much innocence.

“Yeah.  One did fly over our haids.  I didn’t git to see much of it.  My fool hawse, he started in pitchin’ right away, soon as he seen it.”

Mary V paused, meditating upon the significance of his words, his tone, his profile.  That there was no particular significance did not in the least affect her deliberate intention.

“I wonder who it could have been!” she said, stealing a glance from under her lashes.

“Hunh?  Who?  The flyin’ machine?  Search me!” This time his tone was surely significant.  It signified, more than anything else, that the mind of Tex was busy with other matters.  Contrary to the magazine article, his face did not betray his thoughts.  “Yore dad buy Jake off’n Bill for yo’ all to ride?” he asked suddenly.

“No.  Bill just lent him to me.”

“Hnh!  Bill, he shore is generous-hearted to lend yuh Jake.”

“Yes,” said Mary V, smiling at Tex innocently.  “Yes, isn’t he?”

But Tex did not reiterate, as pleasant converse demanded.  He went off again into meditation so deep that it quite excluded Mary V.

“Yo’ all going to help round up?” Tex asked her suddenly.  “You shore can ride the ridges, with that hawse.  I guess yo’ all can bring in more hawses than what any two of us kin.”

“That’s exactly what I mean to do,” Mary V assured him promptly.  “You’ll see me riding the ridges almost exclusively.”

Tex looked at her and grinned, which did not enhance his good looks, because his teeth were badly stained with tobacco.

“Yo’ all don’t want to ride away over in them breaks toward the southeast corner,” he advised.  “That’s a long, hard ride to make.  It’s too much for a girl to tackle—­combin’ the hawses outa them little brushy draws.  They like to git in there away from the flies, in the heat uh the day.  But yo’ all better not tackle it, even if Bill lets yuh.  I don’t guess he would, though.”

“Bill,” said Mary V with a little tilt to her chin, “does not enjoy the privilege of ‘letting’ me do things.  I shall ride wherever I please.  And it is possible that I may please to bring in what horses are in the red-hill end of the range.  I’m sure I don’t see why I shouldn’t, if I like.”

“Well,” said Tex, “that country’s plumb hard to ride.  It takes real work to bring in hawses from there.  I wouldn’t tackle that, if I was you; I’d ride out where it’s easier.”

“Oh, would you?  Well, thank you very much for the advice, I’m sure.”  Mary V looked back, saw the other boys jogging closer, and held Jake in to wait for them.  She did not want to tell Tex that she certainly would make it a point to ride the red-hill side of the range.  There was probably some sly, secret reason Tex did not want her to go over that way.  She remembered that she had seen the Mexican coming from that direction both times.  Certainly, there must be some secret reason.  Tex was afraid she might find out something.