“Would it hurt you to wait till he eats?”
“It wouldn't do me much good, if anybody was to sec me waitin' here,” said the doctor.
A flush of color sprang into the woman's face.
“I only wanted to feed him,” she said, “because the School-teacher told me to.”
“Get out of my way,” said the doctor. “This School-teacher has interfered with my business just about as much as I'm going to put up with.”
He clucked to his horse, and rode around the woman. When he had gone forward a few paces, he made a gesture with his crooked arm.
“Is there a path over the mountain this way?” he called without turning in his saddle.
“Yes,” replied the woman, “it runs down past the house.”
She remained standing by the gate with the crock in her hand.
The doctor entered the forest.