The girl shot the word out harshly.
"Favor! You're a sweet one to come askin' me for a favor!"
A fever of rage rose in her face and her brows gathered threateningly.
"Nothin' we've got is for sale to you! I wouldn't help you if I could save your outfit by liftin' my hand ... an' if I was starvin' for that you'd give me in pay!"
Jane was nonplussed. Bobby's breast rose and fell quickly and her white teeth gleamed behind drawn lips. She was the catamount, ready to fight!
"But think of these cattle! They're suffering—"
"Cattle! You ask me to think of cattle because they're suffering and you'd make human beings suffer from worse things than thirst!"
"I don't understand you. What have I done that would make people suffer?"
"I s'pose you don't know?"—jeeringly. "I s'pose you don't want to know in front of him,"—with a flirt of her quirt to indicate Beck. "I wouldn't either if I was in your place, you—sneak!"
"Sneak?" Jane repeated, stung to open resentment. "Sneak?"