“What is it?” she asked, breathlessly.
“It’s what I thought it was—a cave,” answered Teddy, joyfully. “Come inside, Billie. It will get you out of the wind anyway, and give you a chance to warm up.” He had put an arm about her again and was pushing her forward with his usual impetuosity, but Billie hung back.
“We don’t know what’s in there,” she protested, but Teddy refused to listen to her.
“We don’t know and we don’t care,” he informed her, masterfully, adding as she still hung back: “We’ll freeze to death out there, anyway.”
“But, Ted, suppose some wild animal should be in there? You know that bears hide in hollow trees and caves——”
“Bears sleep most of the winter. Besides, I don’t think there are any bears around here.”
“But there might be a—a fox, or a wildcat.”
“I’ll take a chance on that. You must remember, the average wild beast will get out of your way if you give it half a chance. Come on. As I said before, if you stay out here, in this icy wind, you’ll surely freeze to death.”
This argument appealed to her, and, with a shivering look over her shoulder at the desert of whiteness behind, she stepped gingerly into the blackness of the cave.
Then with a little nervous giggle she ran back again, got behind Teddy and pushed him before her.