Penny of Top Hill Trail Part 6

She gave a little smile of victory which, if he had seen it, would have strangled all his new-born compa.s.sion.

"Why didn't you tell me your story in the first place?" he demanded.

"When you are out in the world alone, you know," she said sagely, "and everyone is taking a shot at you, you have to put out a bluff of bravado, same as a porcupine shoots out his quills."

He gave another murmur of sympathy.

"Don't feel too bad about it, Kind Kurt, because being knocked about sharpens your wits and makes you an expert dodger when you aren't equal to fighting in the open."

Suddenly into the black-purple sky shot forth a moon and stars.

"Makes the white lights of a city look like thirty cents, eh, Kurt?" she commented.

He made no response, and she was serenely aware of his silent disapproval.

"What's matter, Kurt?"

"My name," he replied frigidly, "is Walters."

"Is it, then? And what might your middle name be?"

"You can call me 'Mr. Walters,'" he replied, striving for dignity and realizing instantly how lame was the attempt.

"Oh, can I now? Well, I'll do nothing of the kind to the first real friend I've ever had. As I said, I am all in, and I'm going to snooze while you watch for a gasoliner to come along."

She stretched herself out and closed her eyes. In a semi-slumber she was dreamily conscious of a firm roll slipped deftly under her head. She made a faint murmur of content and acknowledgment and knew no more. Her sleeping sense didn't tell her that a tall sheriff came and looked down upon her small, pale, moonlit face from which sleep, the great eliminator, had robbed of everything earthy and left it the face of an innocent, sleeping child. She didn't dream that as he gazed he remitted sentence and told himself that she was but a stray little kitten lost in the wide plains of life, and solely in need of patient guidance to a home hearth.

"She was right," he confessed. "I did make her feel contrary. It seems to be a characteristic of mine. Maybe her true little self is the one Jo saw and she can be made worthy of him yet."

CHAPTER III

When the first faint edges of light outlined the coming day, she sat bolt upright and stared about her. As far as eye could see was the tortuous trail leading up sculptured hills that were the preface to the mother mountains of the West.

The wonder-stare in her eyes gradually disappeared as memory awakened.

Down beyond the trees in a little valley the sheriff was attending to a fire he had built.

She arose, cramped and unrefreshed, and hastened toward the welcome blaze.

"Good morning. Any gasoline yet?"

"No; not an automobile pa.s.sed during the night."

"How do you know? Didn't you sleep?"

"No."

"Guarding your car and me? No!" she added quickly. "That wasn't the reason. I had all the robes and your coat. You had to stay awake to keep warm."

He smiled slightly and spoke in the hushed voice that seems in keeping with the dawn.

"I've been used to night watches--tending sheep and cattle on the plains.

What's the difference whether it's night or day so long as you sleep somewhere in the twenty-four hour zone?"

"I never was up ahead of the sun before," she said with a little s.h.i.+ver, as she came close to the fire.

"I am heating over the coffee that was left. That will make you feel better."

"I suppose there isn't any water hereabouts to wash in. You know they teach us to be sanitary in the reformatories."

He pointed to a jar.

"I always carry some in the car. Help yourself."

"Arctic ablutions never appeal to me," she said when she had used the cold water freely and returned to the fire. "I found another left-over in the shape of a sandwich minus the pork, so we can each have a slice of toast with our coffee."

She put a piece of bread on a forked stick and held it out to the blaze.

He did the same with the other half of the sandwich. Then they partook of a meagre but welcome breakfast.

"Look!" he said presently in an awed voice.

The sun was sending a glorious searchlight of gold over the highest hill-line.

"Swell, isn't it?" she commented cheerily.

Her choice of adjectives repelled any further comments on Nature by him.

"I'm not used to sleeping out," she said, as he carefully raked over the remains of the fire, "and it didn't seem to rest me. Thank you for making me so comfortable, Mr. Walters."

She spoke gently; altogether her manner was so much more subdued this morning that he felt the same wave of pity he had felt when Bender had first mentioned her case to him.

"I am sorry," he said, "that you had to stay out here all night. It was my fault; but you will have a more comfortable resting place to-night."

A sound was heard: a modern, welcome sound, breaking in distractingly on the primeval silence. Kurt hastened to the road and saw the encouraging prelude of dust. The pa.s.sing tourist gave him the requisite supply of gasoline and continued on his way.

"Come on, Pen!" called the sheriff.

She suppressed a smile as she followed.

"You called me by my first name," she couldn't resist reminding him.

"I didn't know your last one," he responded quickly and resentfully as he helped her into the car.

"Let me think. I've had so many aliases--suppose I make out a list and let you take your choice. Most of my pals call me 'The Thief.'"

The look of yesterday came back to his eyes at her flippant tone and words.