Without a word she turned the animal she was riding sharp to the left, and began to mount the little knoll. The men followed in consternation. Billy's patience was not noted for its evenness.
"Hullo, Billy!" she cried when she was near enough. "Good morning!"
Billy had not at first caught sight of her, and was now plainly a little nonplussed over his unexpected guest. Clearly he could not at this moment "cuss out" the delinquents as they deserved. He removed his broad black hat.
"Good mo'ning! Good mo'ning!" he replied to the girl's greeting. "Come up t' see th' wo'ks?"
"Whoa!" called Molly. The men stopped. "No," she said flatly, "I didn't. Not to-day, that is. I'm busy. I'm hunting for good timber."
Billy looked puzzled. "Timber?" he repeated.
"Yes, timber. I'm going to have a shack built, and these boys are going to put it up for me."
Thus she broke the news gently. Billy looked the men over one by one. He turned a slow red.
"Huh!" he observed at last. "I thought they was goin' to wo'k fo' me!"
"Did you?" asked Molly sweetly. "Well, they're not; at least, not now."