The getting had filled his thoughts waking and sleeping, had brought him some danger, many thrills, a good deal of reproach and much self-condemnation.

Now he had it--that episode was diminishing rapidly in importance as it slid into the past, and Johnny was facing a problem quite as great, was harboring ambitions quite as dazzling, as when he rode a sweaty horse across the barren stretches of the Rolling R Ranch and dreamed the while of soaring far above the barrenness.
Well, he had soared high above many miles of barrenness.

That dream could be dreamed no more, since its magic vapors had been dissipated in the bright sun of reality.

He could no longer dream of flying, any more than he could build air castles over riding a horse.

Neither could he rack his soul with thoughts of Mary V Selmer, wondering whether she would ever get to caring much for a fellow.