Mavericks | Page 9

duty," he soliloquized
aloud. "Just the same as if I had been a mangy coyote that was
suffering."
"Exactly."
He let his cool eyes rest on her with a hint of amusement. "And what
were you thinking of doing with me now, ma'am?"
"I'm going to take you up to Jim Yeager's mine. He is doing his
assessment work now, and he'll look out for you for a day or two."
"Look out for me in a locked room?" he wanted to know casually.
"I didn't say so. It isn't my business to arrest criminals," she told him
icily.
His eyes gleamed mischief. "Is it your business to help them to
escape?"

"I'm not helping you to escape. I'll not risk your dying in the hills alone.
That is all."
"Jim Yeager is your friend?"
"Yes."
"And you guarantee he'll keep his mouth padlocked and not betray
me?"
"He'll do as he pleases about that," she said indifferently.
"Then I don't reckon I'll trouble his hospitality. Good-by, Miss
Sanderson. I've enjoyed meeting you very much."
He checked his pony and bowed.
"Where are you going?" the girl exclaimed.
"Up Bear Creek."
"It's twenty miles. You can't do it."
"Sure I can. Thanks for your kindness, Miss Sanderson. I'll return the
handkerchief some day," and with a touch swung round his pony.
"You're not going. I won't have it, and you wounded!"
He turned in the saddle, smiling at her with jaunty insouciance.
"I'll answer for Jim. He won't betray you," she promised, subduing her
pride.
"Thanks. I'll take your word for it, but I won't trouble your friend. I've
had all the Christian charity that's good for me this mo'ning," he
drawled.
At that she flamed out passionately: "Do you want me to tell you that I
like you, knowing what you are? Do you want me to pretend that I feel

friendly when I hate you?"
"Do you want me to be under obligations to folks that hate me?" he
came back with his easy smile.
"You have lost a lot of blood. Your arm is still bleeding. You know I
can't let you go alone."
"You're ce'tainly aching for a chance to be a Good Samaritan, Miss
Sanderson."
With this he left her. But he had not gone a hundred yards before he
heard her pony cantering after his. One glance told him she was furious,
both at him and at herself.
"Did you come after your handkerchief, ma'am? I'm not through with it
yet," he said innocently.
"I'm going with you. I'm not going to leave you till we meet some one
that will take charge of you," she choked.
"It isn't necessary. I'm much obliged, ma'am, but you're overestimating
the effect of this pill your friend injected into me."
"Still, I'm going. I won't have your death on my hands," she told him
defiantly.
"Sho! I ain't aimin' to pass over the divide on account of a scratch like
this. There's no danger but what I can look out for myself."
She waited in silence for him to start, looking straight ahead of her.
He tried in vain to argue her out of it. She had nothing to say, and he
saw she was obstinately determined to carry her point.
Finally, with a little chuckle at her stubbornness, he gave in and turned
round.
"All right. Yeager's it is. We're acting like a pair of kids, seems to me."

This last with a propitiatory little smile toward her which she disdained
to answer.
Yeager saw them from afar, and recognized the girl.
"Hello, Phyllis!" he shouted down. "With you in a minute."
The girl slipped to the ground, and climbed the steep trail to meet him.
Her crisp "Wait here," flung over her shoulder with the slightest turn of
the head, kept Keller in the saddle.
Halfway up she and the man met. The one waiting below could not
hear what they said, but he could tell she was explaining the situation to
Yeager. The latter nodded from time to time, protested, was
vehemently overruled, and seemed to leave the matter with her.
Together they retraced their way. Young Yeager, in flannel shirt and
half-leg miner's boots, was a splendid specimen of bronzed Arizona.
His level gaze judged the man on horseback, approved him, and met
him eye to eye.
"Better light, Mr. Keller. If you come in we'll have a look at your arm.
An accident like that is a mighty awkward thing to happen to a man on
the trail. It's right fortunate Miss Sanderson found you so soon after it
happened."
The nester knew a surge of triumph in his blood, but it did not show in
the impassive face which he turned upon his host.
"It was right fortunate for me," he said, swinging from