whether they are
in any way implicated with this man Olney. I believe that this is at
present more important than the recovery of any--m-m--cattle of mine
which they may have appropriated."

Billy Louise looked at him for a minute. "Mr. Seabeck, you're awfully
dear about this!" she told him. "I haven't been as square as you; and
I've been-- Listen here, Mr. Seabeck! I don't love Charlie Fox a bit.
I love somebody else, and I'm going to marry him. He's so square, I'd
hate to have him think I even let you believe something that wasn't
true. It's Marthy I'm thinking of, Mr. Seabeck. I was afraid you
wouldn't let Charlie off just for her sake, but I thought maybe if you
just thought I--wanted you to do it for mine, why, maybe--with two
women to be sorry for, you'd kind of--"

"Hm-mm!" Seabeck sent her a keen, blue, twinkling glance that made
Billy Louise turn hot all over with shame and penitence. "Hm-mm!" he
said again--if one can call that a saying--and pulled at his graying
whiskers. "Hm-mmm!"

CHAPTER XXVII

MARTHY

Billy Louise led the way down the gorge, through the meadow, and along
the orchard to the little gate. The Cove seemed empty and rather
forlorn, with the wind creeping up the river and rattling the dry
branches of the naked fruit trees. Not much more than twenty-four
hours had slid into the past since Billy Louise had galloped away from
the place, yet she felt vaguely that life had taken a big stride here
since she last saw it. Nothing was changed, though, as far as she
could see. A few cattle fed in the meadow next the river, a fattening
hog lifted himself from his bed of straw and grunted at them as they
passed. A few chickens were hunting fishworms in the thawed places of
the garden, and a yellow cat ran creepingly along the top rail of the
nearest corral, crouched there with digging claws and pounced down into
a flock of snowbirds. A drift of dead apple leaves stirred uneasily
beside the footpath through the berry bushes. Billy Louise started
nervously and glanced over her shoulder at Seabeck. For some reason
she wanted the comfort of his presence. She waited until he came up to
her--tall, straight like a soldier, and silent as the Cove itself.

"I'm--scared," said Billy Louise. She did not smile either when she
said it. "I--hate empty-feeling places. I'm--afraid of emptiness."

"Yet you are always riding alone in the hills." Seabeck looked down at
her with a puzzle