Brad urged Nadia into her own room, the door of which was standing ajar. She grasped his hand and drew him after her, whispering:
“I am terribly frightened now, Brad. Don’t leave me alone.”
“All right,” said the Texan. “Don’t you be frightened. We’re going to get you out of this scrape all right. My pard has a long head on his shoulders.”
“Dick is a wonderful boy,” declared the girl.
Again Buckhart felt a thrill of jealousy, but he resolutely thrust such a feeling from his heart.
“He’s a corker!” he exclaimed enthusiastically. “See how quick he caught onto the plan of old Ras al Had and turned it to the benefit of us all.”
They were in the room, but the door was still left ajar.
“I know I’m a big blunderer beside Dick,” Buckhart went on. “Of course you’re not to blame for liking him best, Nadia. It’s only natural you should, and——”
“But I don’t like him best,” she hastily cut in.
“You can’t help it.”