"Not goin'?"
"I'm going to stay right here. They won't dare to shoot at you if I'm here."
"I never did see such a girl as you," admitted Prince, smiling at her.
"You take the cake. But we can't let you do that for us. We can't skulk
behind a young lady's skirts to save our hides. It's not etiquette on the
Pecos."
The red color burned through her dusky skin. "I'm not doing it for you," she said stiffly. "It's dad I'm thinking about. I don't want him mixed up in such a business. I won't have it either."
"You'd better go to him and talk it over, then."
"No. I'll stay here. He wouldn't listen to me a minute."
Billie was still patient with her. "I don't think you'd better stay, Miss Lee. I know just how you feel. But there are a lot of folks won't understand howcome you to take up with yore father's enemies. They'll talk a lot of foolishness likely."
The cowpuncher blushed at his own awkward phrasing of the situation, yet the thing had to be said and he knew no other way to say it.
She flashed a resentful glance at him. Her cheeks, too, flamed.
"I don't care what they say since it won't be true," she answered proudly. "You needn't argue. I've staked out a claim here."