“I dare say not. But won’t y’u ’light, Miss Messiter?”
She slipped immediately to the ground beside him. Her eyes looked him over with quiet scorn.
“From first to last you have done nothing but lie to me. When we were out last night you knew that ranch was close at hand. You lied to me again when you said it was deserted.”
“Very well. We’ll say I lied, though it’s not a nice word in so pretty a mouth, as yours, Miss Messiter. Y’u ought to read up again the fable about the toads dropping from the beautiful lady’s lips.”
“What’s your object? What do you expect to gain by it?”
“Up to date I’ve gained a right interesting guest. Y’u will be diverting enough. With so charming a lady visiting me I’m not worrying about getting bored.”
“So you war on women, you coward.”
The change in him was instantaneous. It was as if a thousand years of civilization had been sponged out in an eyebeat. He stood before her a savage primeval, his tight-lipped smile cruel in its triumph.
“Did I begin this fight? Didn’t y’u and your punchers try to balk me by taking that sheep-herder from me after I had bagged him? That was your hour. By God, this is mine! I’ll teach y’u it isn’t safe to interfere with me. What I want I get one way or another, and don’t y’u forget it, my girl.”
She was afraid to the very marrow of her. But she would not show her fear, nor could he read it in the slim superb erectness with which she gave him defiance.