He told Daddy John to follow it and drew up beside the
track to let the wagon pass him. Motionless he watched the girl's
approaching figure, and saw her rein her horse to a standstill.
"Come on," he said softly. "I want to speak to you."
She touched the horse and it started toward him. As she came nearer he
could see the troubled shine of her eyes.
"Why are you afraid?" he said, as he fell into place beside her.
"We're friends now."
She made no answer, her head bent till her face was hidden by her hat.
He laid his hand on her rein and brought the animal to a halt.
"Let the wagon get on ahead," he whispered. "We'll follow at a
distance."
The whisper, so low that the silence was unbroken by it, came to her, a
clear sound carrying with it a thrill of understanding. She trembled
and--his arm against hers as his hand held her rein--he felt the
subdued vibration like the quivering of a frightened animal. The wagon
lumbered away with the sifting dust gushing from the wheels. A stirred
cloud rose upon its wake and they could feel it thick and stifling in
their nostrils. She watched the receding arch cut down the back by the
crack in the closed canvas, while he watched her.
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