“Yes, if it seems best,” he agreed, “but you won’t be here; you’ll be shipped to a school, pronto!”
“I won’t be so far off the map that a letter can’t reach me. Cap Pike won’t ever write, but I thought maybe you–––”
“Sure,” agreed Rhodes easily. “We’ll send out a long yell for help whenever we get stuck.”
She eyed him darkly and without faith.
“Wish I knew how to make that certain,” she confessed. “You’re only dodging me with any kind of a promise to keep me quiet, just as Cap did. I know! I’m jealous, too, because you’re taking a trail I’ve always wanted to take with Cap, and they won’t let me because I’m a girl.”
“Cheer up! When you are boss of the range you can outfit any little pasear you want to take, but you and I won’t be in the same class then, Lark-child.”
“Are you really going it blind, trailing with Cap into the Painted Hills after that fascinating gold legend?” she demanded. “Or have you some inside trail blazed for yourself? Daddy Pike is the best ever, but he always goes broke, and if he isn’t broke, he has a jug at his saddle horn, so–––”
“Oh it’s only a little jug this time, and he’s had a fare-you-well drink out of it with everyone in sight, so there’s only one hilarious evening left in the jug now. Just enough for a gladsome memory of civilization.”
“Are you in deep on this prospect plan?” she persisted.
“Well, not that you could notice. That is, I’ve got a three months’ job offered me down at Whitely’s; that will serve the captain as headquarters to range from until we add to our stake. Whitely is rounding up stock for the Allies down Mesa Blanca way, and Pike will feel at home there. Don’t you worry, I’ll keep an eye on Pike. He is hilariously happy to get into that region with a partner.”