"He air, too," contradicted the girl rebelliously. "He air ercomin' back an' he's promised ter help me git edercation."
Judd laughed shortly.
"I warned him fair ter keep erway, an' p'inted my warnin' with a rifle ball."
Rose's eyes widened in horror.
"Yo' ... yo' means yo' shot him, Judd?" she whispered, with both hands pressed to her breast.
"Shot him? No. I didn't aim fer ter hurt him, an' 'twarn't in nowise necessary. I jest put a bullet past his head an' he run like a skeered rabbit."
"Taint so. He never run from no one," she cried staunchly.
"Wall, hit shor' appeared like hit ter me," was the gloating answer.
Feminine instinct gave Rose an intuitive insight into the real reasons which underlay Donald's apparent flight; but pride sealed her lips, just as she was on the point of explaining triumphantly that the doctor had been called back home that day, and that it was the following summer when he would return.
"Juddy," she said gently, after a moment, "yo' hed no reason fer doin' what yo' done. Hit war mighty wrong, but I fergives ye. I wants ter still be friends with ye. I wants ye ter help me, Juddy."