given me," he mused, thinking of something
else. "I like it."

For the first time she blushed--blushed until her face was like one of
the wild roses in those prickly copses of the valley.

And then he added:

"You must not tell them too much--at first, Marge. Remember that you
were lost, and I found you. You must give me time to get acquainted with
Hauck and Brokaw."

She nodded, but there was a moment's anxiety in her eyes, and he saw for
an instant the slightest quiver in her throat.

"You won't--let them--keep me? No matter what they say--you won't let
them keep me?"

He jumped up with a laugh and tilted her chin so that he looted straight
into her eyes; and her faith filled them again in a flood.

"No--you're going with me," he promised. "Come. I'm quite anxious to
meet Hauck and the Red Brute!"

It seemed singular to David that they met no one in the valley that day,
and the girl's explanation that practically all travel came from the
north and west, and stopped at the Nest, did not fully satisfy him. He
still wondered why they did not encounter one of the searching parties
that must have been sent out for her--until she told him that, since
Nisikoos died, she and Tara had gone quite frequently into the mountains
and remained all night, so that perhaps no search had been made for her
after all. Hauck had not seemed to care. More frequently than otherwise
he had not missed her. Twice she had been away for two nights and two
days. It was only because Brokaw had given that gold to Hauck that she
had feared pursuit. If Hauck had bought her....

She spoke of that possible sale as if she might have been the merest
sort of chattel. And then she startled him by saying:

"I have known of those white men from the north buying Indian girls. I
have seen them sold for whisky. _Ugh!_" She shuddered. "Nisikoos and I
overheard them one night. Hauck was selling a girl for a little sack of
gold--like _that_. Nisikoos held me more tightly than ever, that night.
I don't know why. She was terribly afraid of that man--Hauck. Why did
she live with him if she was afraid of him? Do you know? _I_ wouldn't.
I'd run away."

He shook his head.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you, my child."

Her eyes turned on him suddenly.

"Why do you call me that--a child?"

"Because you're not a woman; because you're so very, very young, and I'm
so very old," he laughed.

For a long time after that she was silent as they travelled steadily