Jim shook his head.
“Just nothing,” he said, with a shrug. “Only—— Maybe, you’re right, though. That tunnel and the ledge are difficult when you think about it. A scared horse might easily get into a fix. And it’s certainly important that Lightning should—carry on the work of Molly’s farm.”
After that they remained silent. Somehow Jim’s explanation failed to convince, and Blanche had an uncomfortable feeling. But she refrained from pursuing the subject further.
Jim was thinking hard. Why had Lightning borrowed his sister’s horse? Why not use his own? The idea of Lightning being afraid of facing the tunnel on his own horse was absurd. Inspiration promptly supplied him with all he wanted to know. Pedro! Blanche had told him of the cattleman’s admiration of the beast. He knew the merits of the creature himself. Pedro was capable of anything in the world that a horse of his class might be asked to do. Why should Lightning desire the loan of such a horse? There could only be one reason, and he sat on in silence, staring at the polished sides of the stove, contemplating the tremendous thing that had suggested itself.
Blanche went on with her work. The tangle of silks seemed to cause her no inconvenience. Once she passed out of the room to visit her sleeping patient. It was only to return again to her sewing with a word of reassurance.
The evening slipped away. Blanche began a conversation. But its failure to flourish left her no alternative but to abandon the attempt. And in place of it her woman’s mind made play to itself between her preoccupied brother and the girl lying ill in another room.
Jim bestirred himself at last. He sat up, and shocked his sister into amazed attention.
“I want to marry that little kid, Blanche,” he said, without preamble. “I’m going to. Do you think—I guess you know your own sex—do you think she’s going to want that boy when she gets well?”
With the passing of her first shock, Blanche wanted to laugh. But her desire was not inspired by the thing he had said. It was the curious synchronising with it of the thoughts that had been passing through her own mind.
“If she does, Jim, she’s not worth any good man’s thought,” she said promptly.