When they reached Jim Silent he stared fixedly upon
Haines. Then he drew his guns slowly and presented
them to his comrade, while his eyes shifted to Kate
and he said coldly: “Lady, I hope I ain’t
the last one to congratulate you!”
She did not understand, but Haines scowled and coloured.
Dan, in the meantime, was swept into the saloon by
an influx of the cowpunchers that left only Lee Haines
outside with Kate. She had detained him with
a gesture.
LAUGHTER
“Mr. Lee,” she said, “I am going
to ask you to do me a favour. Will you?”
His smile was a sufficient answer, and it was in her
character that she made no pretext of misunderstanding
it.
“You have noticed Dan among the crowd?”
she asked, “Whistling Dan?”
“Yes,” he said, “I saw him do some
very nice shooting.”
“It’s about him that I want to speak to
you. Mr. Lee, he knows very little about men
and their ways. He is almost a child among them.
You seem—stronger—than most
of the crowd here. Will you see that if trouble
comes he is not imposed upon?”
She flushed a little, there was such a curious yearning
in the eyes of the big man.
“If you wish it,” he said simply, “I
will do what I can.”
As he walked beside her towards her horse, she turned
to him abruptly.
“You are very different from the men I have
met around here,” she said.
“I am glad,” he answered.
“Glad?”
“If you find me different, you will remember
me, whether for better or worse.”
He spoke so earnestly that she grew grave. He
helped her to the saddle and she leaned a little to
study him with the same gentle gravity.
“I should like to see you again, Mr. Lee,”
she said, and then in a little outburst, “I
should like to see you a lot! Will you come
to my house sometime?”
The directness, the sudden smile, made him flinch.
His voice was a trifle unsteady when he replied.
“I shall!” He paused and his hand
met hers. “If it is possible.”
Her eyebrows raised a trifle.
“Is it so hard to do?”
“Do not ask me to explain,” he said, “I
am riding a long way.”
“Oh, a ’long-rider’!” she
laughed, “then of course—” She
stopped abruptly. It may have been imagination,
but he seemed to start when she spoke the phrase by
which outlaws were known to each other. He was
forcing his eyes to meet hers.
He said slowly: “I am going on a long journey.
Perhaps I will come back. If I am able to, I
shall.”
He dropped his hand from hers and she remained silent,
guessing at many things, and deeply moved, for every
woman knows when a man speaks from his soul.
“You will not forget me?”
“I shall never forget you,” she answered
quietly. “Good-bye, Mr. Lee!”
