"Are you fencing off Flower Prairie—that garden of dreams come true?" she said with a careless laugh.
"Yes," said Payne, "but I'm going to put a gate in there."
"Kind of him, isn't it?" said Mrs. Livingstone, turning to Garman with the empty, affected laugh of her kind. "Shall we be permitted to continue our rides to Flower Prairie? Are persons permitted to place such obstructions in such places?"
Garman smoothed his tawny mustache, playfully bowing to her, as if loathe to interrupt with a reply.
Payne was breathing hard.
"Yes; they are," he said hoarsely, and checked himself.
"Ye-es," purred Garman. "If they own the land."
Payne turned on him.
"Where's Willy Tiger?" he snapped out. "What did you do to him?"
"Come, Annette," said Mrs. Livingstone. "It is too warm to stand still. We will ride back slowly."