“I’m so glad you’ve changed your minds. I knew you would when you thought it over,” she told them chattily and confidentially.
She was taking their assent for granted. Now she waited and gave them a chance to chorus their agreement. None of them spoke except Maloney. Most of them were with her in sympathy but none wanted to be first in giving way. Each wanted to save his face, so that the others could not later blame him for quitting first.
She looked around from one to another, still cheerful and sure of her ground apparently. Two steps brought her directly in front of one. She caught him by the lapels of his coat and looked straight into his eyes. “You have changed your mind, haven’t you, Jake?”
The big Missourian twisted his hat in embarrassment. “I reckon I have, Miss Kate. Whatever the other boys say,” he got out at last.
“Haven’t you a mind of your own, Jake?”
“Sure. Whatever’s right suits me.”
“Well, you know what is right, don’t you?”
“I expect.”
“Then you won’t hurt this man, our prisoner?”
“I haven’t a thing against him if you haven’t.”