“But you are afraid of the Indians?”
“No, sir; not now, because—” She stopped as she looked into his kindly face and caught the amused gleam of a pair of piercing eyes.
“Because—why?”
“Because you talk and act like a gentleman, sir. I am not afraid of a gentleman.” She paused again, surprised at her own composure. Her eyes fell, and a deep flush overspread her features, as the thought flashed through her mind that she was utterly in the power of this stranger.
“Can you ferry me across the river to-night, sir? My daddie will pay you well for your trouble.”
“I could not attempt it. We never risk running the ferry after sundown. Guess we can make you comfortable on this side till morning.”
“But there is no house where I can stop, and I haven’t any money. But that’s nothing new for girls. They never have money.”
“Oh, yes, they do, often. In the old country, where I came from, girls often inherit money; and some of them own very large estates.”
“But only by courtesy, sir.”