“Strong enough? I am strong as Hercules! Why should I not be since joy gives strength? Come.”
Then I remembered her ragged shoes. What hope of escape was there when our flight must be at a snail’s pace?
“Come,” I repeated; and held out my arms.
“What do you mean?” she demanded, looking at me darkly.
“I am to carry you, you know, until we reach the road. That is already settled, so we need not waste time arguing it over again.”
“Indeed!” she retorted. “But that was under different circumstances. Besides, we are not going toward the road, are we?”
“No,” I admitted; “we are going straight up this hill.”
“Very well,” she said, “then our agreement is at an end, and I refuse to reconsider. It is you who are wasting time.”
I saw she was immovable, and a mad impulse seized me to snatch her up despite her protests; to overpower her resistance....
Then my glance fell upon the body. In an instant I had dropped beside it and was pulling the rude, strong shoes from its feet.