You'll not tell Jane about Bess? Please
don't!"
"I reckon not. But I wouldn't be afraid to bet that after she'd
got over anger at your secrecy--Venters, she'd be furious once in
her life!--she'd think more of you. I don't mind sayin' for
myself that I think you're a good deal of a man."
In the further ascent Venters halted several times with the
intention of saying good-by, yet he changed his mind and kept on
climbing till they reached Balancing Rock. Lassiter examined the
huge rock, listened to Venters's idea of its position and
suggestion, and curiously placed a strong hand upon it.
"Hold on!" cried Venters. "I heaved at it once and have never
gotten over my scare."
"Well, you do seem uncommon nervous," replied Lassiter, much
amused. "Now, as for me, why I always had the funniest notion to
roll stones! When I was a kid I did it, an' the bigger I got the
bigger stones I'd roll. Ain't that funny? Honest--even now I
often get off my hoss just to tumble a big stone over a
precipice, en' watch it drop, en' listen to it bang an' boom.
I've started some slides in my time, an' don't you forget it. I
never seen a rock I wanted to roll as bad as this one! Wouldn't
there jest be roarin', crashin' hell down that trail?"
"You'd close the outlet forever!" exclaimed Venters. "Well,
good-by, Lassiter. Keep my secret and don't forget me. And be
mighty careful how you get out of the valley below.
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