"You aren't going to try and get him off by putting yourself in his place, are you?" she asked, doubtfully. "You've really been less in the thing than he has, and he's young and strong and—"
"Oh no," the Schoolmaster laughed lightly. "I wouldn't try to do that!"
He went out to the stable-yard. When the Kangaroo was saddled, he took Deirdre in his arms again.
She watched him cantering down the road on the great raking grey, towards the inland plains, Pete M'Coll, on one of Steve's horses, a few yards behind him. The thought of that cry of his troubled her. Why had he said: "For God's sake, say you love me!"
The flood of her love for him rose and filled her, the love of all those early years, when he had been mother, brother and playfellow. Little pictures of his tenderness, of his gay good-fellowship, of his care, flitted before her. Because for years it had moved so tranquilly, she had scarcely realised the depth and power of that passionate affection, but now that he had called for it, showed his need of it, as he had never done even in the old days, it surged tempestuously.
CHAPTER XLI
"So the Schoolmaster's swearin' young Davey Cameron was no more than a hired drover to him," said McNab.
He was talking to Steve.
"What's that you're saying?"