“If you only would, Jim! If you only would!”
Suddenly Jim stood up and stretched out his hand for silence.
“Listen!” he whispered.
In the distance came the sound of horses’ hoofs ringing out on the hard mountain road.
The door opened and one of the desperadoes thrust in his head.
“Beat it, Jim! Git to the cave! They’re comin’.”
“Ladies, remember your promise!” cried Jim, and with one bound he was out of the house and gone.
And then, as if this were not enough to shatter their nervous system into little bits, Minnie flung herself on the floor in front of Miss Campbell in a perfect passion of tears.
“You won’t give him up!” she cried, beating her hands together in misery. “You ain’t goin’ fer to give him up?”
Miss Campbell looked at Daniel Moore, but he refused to advise even by a glance.