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He had his shirt off and had been in the act of bandaging a wound that the bullet had cut in his shoulder. "Let me tie that up," I said, taking the strips of linen. "Ahuh! Shot you from behind, didn't he?" "How else, you locoed lady-charmer? It's a wonder I didn't have to tell you that." "Tell me about it."
"Ben Wade, I deny that," she answered, spiritedly, with an uplift of her head. "It's not weakness, but strength I've found." "Ahuh! Well, I reckon I understand. Collie, listen. Wils let me read your last letter to him." "I expected that. I think I told him to. Anyway, I wanted you to know what what ailed me."
Next moment Jack Belllounds galloped a foam-lashed horse into the courtyard and hauled up short with a recklessness he was noted for. He swung down hard and violently cast the reins from him. "Ahuh! I gambled on just this," he declared, harshly. Columbine's heart sank. His gaze was fixed on her face, with its telltale evidences of agitation. "What've you been crying about?" he demanded.
Bragged aboot you an' how you could fight an' how you could shoot an' how you could track a hoss or a man! Bragged how you'd chase every sheep herder back up on the Rim.... I'm tellin' you because we want you to git our stand right. We're goin' to run sheep down in Grass Valley." "Ahuh! Well, who's we?" queried Jean, curtly.
"If I owned you that'd never be done to you." "I reckon you can have him fer the askin'," said Jim, as he threw on the saddle. "Nobody but me can ride him. Do you want to try?" "Not in these clothes," replied Columbine, laughing. "Wal, Miss Collie, you're shore dressed up fine to-day, fer some reason or other," said Lem, shaking his head, while he gathered up the tools from the ground. "Ahuh!
"Buster, I told Collie you were three years in jail!" suddenly interrupted Wade. A mortal blow dealt Belllounds would not have caused such a shock of amaze, of torture. The secret of the punishment meted out to him by his father! The hideous thing which, instead of reforming, had ruined him! All of hell was expressed in his burning eyes. "Ahuh!... I've known it long!" cried Wade, tragically.
But he's yours now, fer I give him to you." "Much obliged, Belllounds. I sure do appreciate that," replied Moore, warmly. "It's what anybody'd gamble Bill Belllounds would do." "Ahuh! An' I'd take it as a favor if you'd stay on to-day an' get thet brandin' done:" "All right, I'll do that for you," replied Moore. "Lem, I guess you won't get your sleep till to-night. Come on."
If she were really Bill Belllounds's daughter she'd never marry Jack, saying, of course, that he was not her brother.... Do you know that it will kill her, if she marries him?" "Ahuh! I reckon it would," replied Wade, with his head bowed. Moore roused his gloomy forebodings. He did not care to show this feeling or the effect the cowboy's pleading had upon him. "Ah! so you admit it?
"Ben, I suspect dad has the queerest notion you want to tell him some awful bloody story about the rustlers." "Ahuh! Well, not yet.... An' how's Jack Belllounds actin' these days?" Wade felt the momentousness of that query, but it seemed her face had been telltale enough, without confirmation of words. "My friend, somehow I hate to tell you.
For Lord's sake handle him gently!" Haught turned pale and suddenly sat down. "Ahuh!" was all he said. But he had a strange hunted look. And not for a long time did he ever again kick a burro! Hunting conditions at Dude Creek had changed greatly to our benefit. The trappers had pulled up stakes and gone to some other section of the country.
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