“Drazk’s movements were—are nothing to me. I don’t know that I have any occasion to be surprised about anything he may do.”
“Well, I’m rather glad you’re not, because if you don’t jump to conclusions, perhaps other people won’t. Not that it makes any partic’lar diff’rence.”
“Dad,” she cried in desperation, “whatever do you mean?”
“It was all plain enough to me, an’ plain enough to Transley,” her father continued with remarkable calmness. “We seen it right from the first.”
“You’re talking in riddles, Y.D.,” his wife remonstrated. “You’re getting Zen all worked up.”
“Jewelry seems to be mighty upsettin’,” Y.D. commented. “There was nothin’ like that in our engagement, eh, Jessie? Well, to come to the point. There was a fire which burned up the valley of the South Y.D. Fires don’t start themselves—usually. This one started among the Landson stacks, so it was natural enough to suspec’ Y.D. or some of his sympathizers. Well it wasn’t Y.D., an’ I reckon it wasn’t Zen, an’ it wasn’t Transley nor Linder an’ every one of the gang’s accounted for excep’ Drazk. Drazk thought he was doin’ a great piece of business when he fired the Landson hay, but when the wind turned an’ burned up the whole valley Drazk sees where he can’t play no hero part around here so he loses himself for good. I gathered from Transley that Drazk had been botherin’ you a little, Zen, which is why I told you.”
The girl’s heart was pounding violently at this explanation. It was logical, and would be accepted readily by those who knew Drazk. She would not trust herself in further conversation, so she slipped away as soon as she could and spent the day riding down by the river.
The afternoon wore on, and as the day was warm she dismounted by a ford and sat down upon a flat rock close to the water. The rock reminded her of the one on which she and Grant had sat that night while the thin red lines of fire played far up and down the valley. Her ankle was paining a little so she removed her boot and stocking and soothed it in the cool water.
As she sat watching her reflection in the clear stream and toying with the ripple about her foot a horseman rode quickly down through the cottonwoods on the other side and plunged into the ford. It happened so quickly that neither saw the other until he was well into the river. Although she had had no dream of seeing him here, in some way she felt no surprise. Her heart was behaving boisterously, but she sat outwardly demure, and when he was close enough she sent a frank smile up to him. The look on his sunburned face as he returned her greeting convinced her that the meeting, on his part, was no less unexpected and welcome than it was to her.
When his horse was out of the water he dismounted and walked to her with extended hand.