“I never jerk, Mr. Cameron.” Keith discovered that big, baffling, blue-brown eyes can, if they wish, rival liquid air for coldness. “I rode horses before I came to Montana.”
Of course, when a man gets frozen with a girl's eyes, and scorched with a girl's sarcasm, the thing for him to do is to retreat until the atmosphere becomes normal. Keith fell behind just as soon as he could do so with some show of dignity, and for several miles tried to convince himself that he would rather talk to Dick and “the old maid” than not.
“Don't you know,” Sir Redmond remarked sympathetically, “some of these Western fellows are inclined to be deuced officious and impertinent.”
Sir Redmond got a taste of the freezing process that made him change the subject abruptly.
The way was rough and lonely; the trail wound over sharp-nosed hills and through deep, narrow coulees, with occasional, tantalizing glimpses of the river and the open land beyond, that kept Beatrice in a fever of enthusiasm. From riding blithely ahead, she took to lagging far behind with her kodak, getting snap-shots of the choicest bits of scenery.
“Another cartridge, please, Sir Redmond,” she said, and wound industriously on the finished roll.
“It's a jolly good thing I brought my pockets full.” Sir Redmond fished one out for her. “Was that a dozen?”
“No; that had only six films. I want a larger one this time. It is a perfect nuisance to stop and change. Be still, Goldie!”
“We're getting rather a long way behind—but I fancy the road is plain.”
“We'll hurry and overtake them. I won't take any more pictures.”