He laughed and so did she laugh, her silvery voice ringing out through the fast gathering darkness.
"There is your brindle cow," he said, pointing to the creature which stood with neck bent, looking back at the two approaching figures.
"Thank ye for bein' so kind," she said, looking up at him with a grateful expression upon her countenance. Picking up a short piece of broken tree limb she went round the cow, crying "Hooey-hooey!" and striking her about the flanks. The cow, fully understanding what was wanted of her, started back up the road toward home, while the girl appeared to pay no further heed to Wade's presence, feeling that he had done his full duty in locating the cow. However, the latter followed her out of the woods, both of them trailing along slowly and silently behind the cow.
"I'm going to help you to get the runaway home," said Wade, smiling.
"Ye needn't," she exclaimed; "I know the road all right," a little sarcastically.
"But I also want to learn it," he replied, not in the least rebuffed.
"Ye might be losin' time for me, an' I don't want ye to do that," tenderly.
"I'd rather lose time assisting you than do anything else at this moment."
"Oh!" she exclaimed, "ef ye want to learn the road, come on."
Her face flushed. She felt it, but Wade could not penetrate the twilight sufficiently to discern the crimson coloring.