United States or Cook Islands ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"Have you seen Hagar since?" he asked. "No," she told him, looking quickly at him, for she caught an odd note in his voice. "I just couldn't bear to think of going back there." "Well," he said, "Hagar's happy. I was over there this mornin'. Masten's there." He felt her hand grip his suddenly, and he smiled.
But after a long, breathless silence, during which Masten's knees threatened to give way, he leaned forward. "Flash it! Quick! Or you go out anyway!" "I'm unarmed!" Masten's voice would not come before. It burst forth now, hysterically, gaspingly, sounding more like a moan than the cry of a man pleading for his life. But it stung the stern-faced man before him to action, rapid and tense.
"The Lazette trail suits me too," he said; "we'll go that way." Masten looked at him again. The smile on Randerson's face was inscrutable. And now the pallor left Masten's cheeks and was succeeded by a color that burned. For he now was convinced and frightened.
Masten's demeanor on hearing of the insult that had been offered her by Pickett had seemed that of a man who was lacking in courage: at the time she had not been able to make it conform to her ideas of a man's duty to the woman he had promised to marry or to any woman.
He had spoken no word since the fight began; he had taken Masten's heaviest punches without sign or sound to indicate that they had landed, always crowding forward, carrying the battle to his adversary, refusing to yield a step when to yield meant to evade punishment.
"You tell her anything you want to tell her, my boy," whispered Uncle Jepson. "An' if I don't miss my reckonin', she'll listen to you, some day." Masten's note to Ruth contained merely the information that he was going to Lazette, and that possibly he might not return for two weeks.
These men were rough, but they had been quick to recognize and appreciate Masten's good qualities. They had gone more than half way in welcoming him. Of course, there was Chavis' bold allusion to a "pretty woman," but the very uncouthness of the men must be the explanation for that breach of etiquette. She was much relieved. Masten was suave and solicitous.
There was derision in her voice. "I have talked to some of the men about you. They say you are the cleverest of any man in this vicinity with a weapon. You deliberately planned to kill him!" He rode on, silently, a glint of cold humor in his eyes. He might now have confounded her with the story of Masten's connection with the affair, but he had no intention of telling her.
He attracted her no longer her heart was shut to him. And, during the days of Masten's continuing absence in the times when she reflected on her feelings toward Randerson on the day he had taught her the use of the pistol, she bitterly reproached herself for her momentary lack of loyalty to the Easterner.
Five minutes later, standing near one of the wheels of the chuck-wagon, gazing somberly at the men, who were carrying Kelso away, Randerson spoke grimly to Owen, who was standing beside him. "Pickett an' then Kelso! Both of them was sure bad enough. But I reckon Masten's got them both roped an' hog-tied for natural meanness." He turned to Owen.
Word Of The Day