His brow darkened, as a new thought came to him.
“And understand that it’s just as well to do as I say, and do it gracefully; for you can’t get away. Accept my offer, and you’ll have no trouble. But make trouble for us, and—well, you can see that we’ll have to make trouble for you.”
He drew the door open and stepped through to the outside, with his hand on the knob and on the key.
She saw that she could not escape by a wild rush, and he seemed to read her thought.
“No, there ain’t no use tryin’ it, for you couldn’t get away, even if you got out of this house. The entrance to this valley is guarded, and there are the dogs. They’re kind, unless we set them on the trail of somebody, and then that somebody had better look out, if the dogs overtake him. So don’t try. I’d hate to have the dogs chew you up. Not but that you’d make dainty eating for them; but I shouldn’t like it, and for you it would be mightily unpleasant.”
He started to lock the door, drawing it half shut.
“Think it over,” he urged. “I’m serious, and in this game of robbery I’m not a hypocrite, but play the game fair, and risk my life like a man in doing it. Think it over. To be queen of Panther Pete’s road, agents won’t be so bad as you may think. Take time to study the situation. I’ll make you a good husband, if you’ll give me the chance. And, if you don’t willingly, I’ll be your husband anyway, and you’ll have your trouble for your pains.”
He closed the door and locked it, and she heard his footsteps as he departed.
Then she threw herself blindly on the floor, in a very paroxysm of terror and anguish, sobbing. “I must—must get away from here!” she cried. “I must—to-night—to-night! Oh, I must get out of this house!”