"Did you rest well last night, your first night under the stars? Did you hear the coyotes, or feel at all afraid?"
Her colour fled, and she dropped her glance to Billy's neck, while her heart throbbed painfully.
He saw how disturbed she was.
"You were afraid," he charged gently. "Why didn't you call? I was close at hand all the time. What frightened you?"
"Oh, it was nothing!" she said evasively. "It was only for a minute."
"Tell me, please!" his voice compelled her.
"It was just for a minute," she said again, speaking rapidly and trying to hide her embarrassment. "I woke and thought I heard talking and you were not in sight; but it was not long before you came back with an armful of wood, and I saw it was almost morning."
Her cheeks were rosy, as she lifted her clear eyes to meet his searching gaze and tried to face him steadily, but he looked into the very depths of her soul and saw the truth. She felt her courage going from her, and tried to turn her gaze carelessly away, but could not.
At last he said in a low voice full of feeling:
"You heard me?"