"I reckon. It was some of a job after I got to them smooth rocks.
I was all day trackin' you up to them little cut steps in the
rock. The rest was easy."
"Where's your hoss? I hope you hid him."
"I tied him in them queer cedars down on the slope. He can't be
seen from the valley."
"That's good. Well, well! I'm completely dumfounded. It was my
idea that no man could track me in here."
"I reckon. But if there's a tracker in these uplands as good as
me he can find you."
"That's bad. That'll worry me. But, Lassiter, now you're here I'm
glad to see you. And--and my companion here is not a young
fellow!...Bess, this is a friend of mine. He saved my life once."
The embarrassment of the moment did not extend to Lassiter.
Almost at once his manner, as he shook hands with Bess, relieved
Venters and put the girl at ease. After Venters's words and one
quick look at Lassiter, her agitation stilled, and, though she
was shy, if she were conscious of anything out of the ordinary in
the situation, certainly she did not show it.
"I reckon I'll only stay a little while," Lassiter was saying.
"An' if you don't mind troublin', I'm hungry. I fetched some
biscuits along, but they're gone. Venters, this place is sure the
wonderfullest ever seen. Them cut steps on the slope! That outlet
into the gorge! An' it's like climbin' up through hell into
heaven to climb through that gorge into this valley! There's a
queer-lookin' rock at the top of the passage.
Pages:
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291