Whereupon he rode off,leading the pack
horse.
Im perfectly helpless, Janey assured him, which was
a lie. Janey was somewhat surprised to have Randolph catch up and pass her. She
decided,however, to allow him to labor under doubts for a while longer. Sit down and
let me pull off the chaps, suggested Randolph. She stood bythe fire until she was
thoroughly dry. She was getting a tremendous kick out of being kidnaped. And she
struck him quickand hard, this time with a tight little fist. Better trot your
horse, if youre not too weak to hang on, he said.
Janey tried to imitate him, succeeded admirably,
and reached the bottomof the wash in good time.
Janey sank back herself, to rest a moment, and to
straighten herdisheveled apparel.
Itll make a difference, he said, and he placed
oneof the canvas packs for her to sit upon.
Presently she heard the hoofs of Randolphs horse
padding closer. Both of them were trifling with deep and unknowninstincts. Hehad
been a perfectly straightforward, fine and promising young man untilhe met her
father. Dont let a little thing like that fuss you. Indeed she wanted to walk into
that blazing pile of sticks. Breakfast will be ready soon as the coffee boils. She
hoped she had deserved what he had said. Ill get up here or die, replied Janey,
furiously.
If ithad ever been level, it was no longer
so.
If I had been capable of thinking Id haveknown you
were a villain. Huge clouds had rolled up, and except in the west they were black
andstormy.
Atlast Randolph turned again to face the
fire.
She sat there, blazing up at him, in a
gatheringmight of wrath. He had a silk scarf, which he used to remove the bloodfrom
her cheek.