Sullenly Wash climbed down and lifted his companion into the wagon. As Young Matt stood aside to let him go, the bully said, “I’ll see you agin fer this.”
The strong man only answered, “I reckon you’d better stay on Roark, Wash Gibbs. You got more room there.”
CHAPTER XXVIII.
WHAT PETE TOLD SAMMY.
No word was spoken by either Sammy or her lover, while their horses were climbing the mill road, and both were glad when they reached the top of the ridge, and turned into the narrow path where they would need to ride one before the other. It was not easy to ride side by side, when each was busy with thoughts not to be spoken.
At the gate, Ollie dismounted to help the girl from her horse. But before he could reach the pony’s side, Sammy sprang lightly to the ground, unassisted. Opening the big gate, she turned Brownie loose in the yard, while the man stood watching her, a baffled look upon his face. He had always done these little things for her. To be refused at this time was not pleasant. The feeling that he was on the outside grew stronger.
Turning to his own horse, Ollie placed his foot in the stirrup to mount, when Sammy spoke,—perhaps she felt that she had been a little unkind—“You were going to stay to supper,” she said.
“Not to-night,” he answered, gaining his seat in the saddle, and picking up the reins.
“But you are going to leave in the morning, are you not? You—you must not go like this.”
He dropped the reins to the horse’s neck again, “Look here, Sammy, do you blame me because I did not fight that big bully?”
Sammy did not reply.