This last few weeks hasnt been any fun fer us. Jed,
why didntyou tell me you were comin heah?
Sort of a lone wolf an shore a daid
shot.
Wal, weve reached the partin of the trails, he
said. An dont kick her in theribs, like you did when you got up fust. Our appetites
are shore not a-rarin, replied Molly. About the middle of the morning Jed came out
on the high point of theDiamond Mesa.
I reckon, though, thet feelinoughtnt to be trusted
fer long. Untie the rope, he said, not looking at her, and went on spreading
theboughs evenly.
You come hyar yourself an get some-thin, he
replied.
But now he was anArizonian with blood on his
hands.
The road is right hyar, he went on, as coolly and
casually as if thatfact was nothing momentous.
This adventure had not lost its sting, despite the
knockingat the gate of his conscience. Molly designated two duffle-bags and one
small grip. The cool fragrance of the night and the woods accompanied him. But Jim
distinctlycaught a soft thud, thud, thud of hoofs. An we caint dodge whats comin
because of whats past.
My necks stiff fromturnin round to watch Miss
Traft.
Darkness soon settled down, and twice Gloriana fell
asleep beside thefire.
Curly was not as easy in mind as might have
appeared to a superficialobserver. And when Molly camecarrying a dipper of water,
Glorianas great tragic eyes lit up. Croak got sorer at allthe fuss Jed was makin
over nothin. Whenhe had packed the horse Molly called from the cabin, Come an get
it! Theres nine miles of fence down, which Jim an his unclecan thank Croak Malloy
fer.
Wal, you shore are a helpless ninny, he returned,
in disgust.
We had to take Slinger hometo West Fork, shot to
pieces.
Wal, Mizzouri, it caint be did, drawled Curly.
Gloriana gazed at him with eyes full of a sickening horror and desperatedefiance.
Stone cooked the last ofthe meat and boiled the last of the coffee. Louis darlin
here will croak on us, if we aint careful.
Gather somewood, start a fire, put on the water to
boil, mix biscuits, an soforth. And whilehe did this he winked and grinned at Molly,
who stood there aghast. He swindled my father out of money, and I suppose he thought
he could dothe same with Uncle Jim. When they reached the top he had satisfaction in
the _expression_ of thatyoung womans face.
Whereupon Gloriana liftedthe roll in both arms and
came wagging across the grass.
And when Molly camecarrying a dipper of water,
Glorianas great tragic eyes lit up. Wal, thets shore a cowboy job, slick an clean.