"Very well," assented Evelyn. "Sarah, I hope you won't mind having the young man eat with you while we are traveling?"
"I suppose it can't be helped, miss," gloomily replied the maid. "I only hope the young man will have the grace to improve the opportunity."
"Oh, I'll improve it fast enough," promised Scarlett, with a twinkling eye on Sarah, "so long as ye don't expect me to embrace it."
Evelyn cut short the maid's angry reproof. "Now, Gerald, you must keep your place. Conduct us to the nearest large city. We must telegraph my father to join us there. Meanwhile, we want to do a lot of shopping. We want, oh, ever so many things! Girls, which of you has my list?"
"I put down prizes for our bridge parties," cried Effie, her eyes snapping at the thought of the unhallowed joys in store for her.
"And materials for making fudge," whispered Ethel, who had thirty-two sweet teeth.
"Yes," assented Evelyn. "And we must buy presents: neckties and things for the poor dear miners who have been so kind to us. Also cotillion favors. As soon as we are settled I mean to give a ball."
"But, miss, how about money?" Sarah reminded her. "We have only fifty-odd dollars left."
"Oh, we can have things charged!" cried Evelyn, airily. "My father's name will be letter of credit to any amount."
Scarlett looked about with a growing uneasiness. The day was fast subsiding into the long twilight that precedes the short northern summer night. Barney had departed with his captives on the long march that was the most effective object-lesson conceivable in what could be accomplished in policing a district by but two men, with the might of a Government behind; and here was he, practically alone, save for the minister, to guard these women, since, as he shrewdly guessed, in an emergency the courage of the other passengers traveling by the coach would prove of negligible quality. The horses had been put into harness some time before, yet the driver kept delaying their departure on the most trivial pretexts. On this Gumboot Annie, when appealed to, threw a lurid local color. "Guess Logan is timin' things fer the hold-up."