She reined in promptly, and their ponies followed the water’s edge at the cow-pony walking-trot.
“You’ve really made up your mind to go East?” she asked, after a brief continuance of her silence.
“I don’t know when I’ll have a better opportunity,” he replied. “The seeing on the mountain is rotten because of these high spring winds. I have lots of time to get at the work on my claim. I’ve got money—later maybe I’ll not have. I’m mighty curious to solve the mystery that seems to surround me. And I want to see my brother and bring him back, if he’s not doing well and wants to come. Many good excuses for going right now. I’ll stay only a couple of weeks, or three maybe, and be back in plenty of time for the big night in June. I’ll just turn Argo loose to pick up his living about the lake. You’ll slant an eye at him occasionally, won’t you?”
For nearly half a minute Shanty Madge was mute. Then, not looking at her companion, she said:
“But I can’t look out for Argo for you. I—I’m afraid Ma and I won’t be here.”
“Won’t be here?”
“Yes—we’ve decided to go to Los Angeles for a time. One of the homesteaders, Mr. Smiley—I guess you’ve met him—will be glad to hire the mules for his spring work. So we—so Ma and I thought we’d go.”
“But I thought you were so anxious to get ahead with your plowing!”
“There’s lots of time. I’ll not seed anything this year, anyway. And you must remember that you’ve done nothing much but build a cabin on your claim.”
“That part’s all right,” Joshua conceded. “But knowing your keenness to be up and doing, I’m a little surprised at the suddenness of this idea. What is the big idea, anyway, Madge?”