To be sure, when I thought of it
I had no reason to want revenge. She had been most gracious to me.
But there was the catty thing she had said about being kissed again by
her admirers. Then, in all seriousness, sentiment aside, I dared not
make up with her.
So the cold and indifferent part I played was imperative.
We halted out on the ridge and dismounted for the usual little rest.
Mine I took in the shade of a scrubby mesquite. The girls strolled away
out of sight. It was a drowsy day, and I nearly fell asleep.
Something aroused me--a patter of footsteps or a rustle of skirts. Then
a soft thud behind me gave me at once a start and a thrill. First I saw
Sally's little brown hands on my shoulders. Then her head, with hair all
shiny and flying and fragrant, came round over my shoulder, softly
smoothing my cheek, until her sweet, saucy, heated face was right under
my eyes.
"Russ, don't you love me any more?" she whispered.
Chapter 4
STEELE BREAKS UP THE PARTY
That night, I saw Steele at our meeting place, and we compared notes and
pondered details of our problem.
Steele had rented the stone house to be used as a jail. While the
blacksmith was putting up a door and window calculated to withstand many
onslaughts, all the idlers and strangers in town went to see the sight.
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