Last night she came! The moment he heard her voice he knew it! The instant he saw her eyes, her face, her hair, her form, he felt like crying out in his exquisite pain of unbearable joy, “At last you have come; you for whom I have hoped, longed, sought, waited through all the ages of time! Oh, my love, my life! And yet I can not, dare not even presume to touch your hand! Oh, the irony of fate! You are so fair, so white—I, O God! I am but an Indian! They say we know how to hate! We know, too, how to love; but how much, how hopelessly, I never knew till now! And yet”—a swift thought came—“and yet—my mother! How I love her! What an honor to be my mother’s son!”
Bess stole a shy glance at the set face of her companion and wondered what he could be pondering so deeply. He had not spoken for a long time, and she half feared to break the silence. Miles passed under the horses’ hoofs, and yet he was silent.
Suddenly he looked at her with self-reproach. “Pardon me, Miss Fletcher, but you certainly must be getting tired.” He hastily leaped from his horse, throwing the reins over the beautiful creature’s head.
Eagle shook himself as if glad to be relieved of his burden. West came to Bess’ side and assisted her to dismount. He had anticipated that her knees would not sustain her weight, and clasped her in his arms to keep her from falling. Immediately the horses, with reins trailing on the ground, began munching the soft green grass, slowly picking here and there.
“Ouch!” said Bess, as her feet touched the earth. “How funny one’s knees feel after riding so far,” and she awkwardly began to move forward.
As her soft hair brushed his face when she dismounted West could scarcely refrain from placing his hand upon the fluffy and wind-tossed tresses. Taking off his mackinaw, he spread it on the ground, telling her to be seated for a moment, and strode to the feeding horses. Presently he returned, and Bess, having risen, looked up at him with a bright smile.
“Mr. West, why do the horses walk like crawfish?”
He smiled at her comparison, and told her, to avoid stepping on the reins and the attendant jerk to their mouths.
“Do you think I will soon be toughened like you?” she asked.
“Oh, yes,” West replied. “You soon will be able to ride half a day, or even more, without becoming much fatigued. At first you must go easy and not ride too long at a stretch.”