“Were you to Hartspool yesterday?”
The man’s smile passed abruptly as thought flung back.
“Yes,” he said, and laughed without mirth. “But I’m glad to be out again. As you say, it’s good with spring around.”
Molly was thinking of Lightning. She remembered his expressed contempt of this man. And her smile passed.
“You go right up and fix things,” she said quietly. “Sure I’ll be glad to eat. I’ll fix Rachel,” she went on. “I always fix her. She needs hobbling, and I guess I’ll set her out on the grass. You see, I’m out after our cows that have strayed. I left Lightning back there cursing cattle thieves and folk like that. He never reckons our cows can stray.” She laughed. “Lightning would hate to think they hadn’t been driven by cattle thieves.”
McFardell nodded.
“I see,” he said seriously. Then he added thoughtfully: “But I’m not so sure about Lightning being crazy that way. You know there’s a lot of young stock coming down out of these hills. The folk in Hartspool are guessing about it. A boy named Dan Quinlan, somewhere away above your place, has set them all wondering. And being folk who’re interested, and easily disturbed, all sorts of queer hints and looks are passing amongst ’em. Anyway, I’ll go fix the food while you pass your mare all she needs.”
Molly was sitting on a box just outside the doorway of the man’s shanty. McFardell was facing her on an up-turned bucket. And between them, on the ground, was the remains of their repast of beans and the boasted imported bacon.
Their tin platters had been laid aside, and each was in possession of a beaker of tea, which had just been dipped from the simmering camp kettle. The man was smoking his first pipe of the day and regarding the girl with that curious, burning smile which her innocence would never have permitted her to interpret aright. Frank admiration was looking out of Molly’s eyes. To an onlooker the truth must have been all apparent. The girl was in love. And the man with the curiously ugly mouth was contemplating her with no great purity of thought behind his eyes.