He drew out a fat wallet and began counting out banknotes.
"Oh, no, not so many," said Ashton. "I wish only what you consider as owing to me now."
"You'll take an even hundred," ordered Knowles, forcing the money on him. "A man doesn't feel just right in town unless he's well heeled. Only don't show more than a ten at a time in the saloon."
"You have chosen me to act as your daughter's escort," replied Ashton.
Quick to catch the inference of his remark, Isobel flashed him a look of approval, but called banteringly as she darted out to the buckboard: "Better move, if you expect to get near enough to escort me, this side of Stockchute."
Gowan sprang down to hand her into the buckboard. She took the reins from him and spoke to the fidgetting broncos. They plunged forward and started off on a lope. Ashton perceived that she did not intend to wait for him. He caught Gowan's look of mingled exultance and envy, and dashed for the corral. Rocket was outside, but at his call trotted to meet him, whinnying for his morning's lump of sugar. Ashton flung on saddle and bridle, and slipped inside the corral to rope his own pony. Haste made him miss the two first throws. At last he noosed the pony, and slapped on the girl's saddle and bridle.
As he raced off, pounding the pony with his rope to keep him alongside Rocket, Knowles waved to him from the house. He had saddled up in less than twice the time that Gowan could have done it,--which was a record for a tenderfoot. He waved back, but his look was heavy despite the excitement of the pursuit.
He expected to overtake Isobel in a few minutes. This he could have done had he been able to give Rocket free rein. But he had to hold back for the slower-gaited pony. Also, the girl had more of a start than he had at first realized, and she did her best to hold the handicap. Hitched to the light buckboard, her young broncos could have run a good part of the way to Stockchute. She was far out on the flat before she at last tired of the wild bumping over ruts and sagebrush roots, and pulled her horses down to a walk.
"I could have kept ahead clear across to the hills," she flung back at him as he galloped up.
"You shouldn't have been so reckless!" he reproached. "Every moment I've been dreading to see you bounced out."