tell me that you take an interest in me?
How do you know that I am not married?"

He was not disconcerted. He drawled slightly over his words when he
answered.

"You wouldn't listen at me at all, ma'am; you cert'nly wouldn't stay
an' listen to any speeches that you thought was pretty, if you was
married," he said. Plainly, he had not lost faith in the virtue of
woman.

"But if I did listen?" she questioned, her face crimson, though her
eyes were still defiant.

He regarded her with pleased eyes. "I've been lookin' for a weddin'
ring," he said.

She gave it up in confusion. "I don't know why I am talking this way
to you," she said. "I expect it is because there isn't anything else
to do. But you really are entertaining!" she declared, for a parting
shot.

Once Ferguson had seen a band of traveling minstrels in Cimarron.
Their jokes (of an ancient vintage) had taken well with the audience,
for the latter had laughed. Ferguson remembered that a stranger had
said that the minstrels were "entertaining." And now he was
entertaining her. A shadow passed over his face; he looked down at his
foot, with its white bandage so much in evidence. Then straight at
her, his eyes grave and steady.

"I'm glad to have amused you, ma'am," he said. "An' now I reckon I'll
be gettin' over to the Two Diamond. It can't be very far now."

"Five miles," she said shortly. She had dropped her sewing into her
lap and sat motionless, regarding him with level eyes.

"Are you working for the Two Diamond?" she questioned.

"Lookin' for a job," he returned.

"Oh!" The exclamation struck him as rather expressionless. He looked
at her.

"Do you know the Two Diamond folks?"

"Of course."

"Of course," he repeated, aware of the constraint in her voice. "I
ought to have known. They're neighbors of your'n."

"They are not!" she suddenly flashed back at him.

"Well, now," he returned slowly, puzzled, but knowing that somehow he
was getting things wrong, "I reckon there's a lot that I don't know."

"If you are going to work over at the Two Diamond," she said coldly,
"you will know more than you do now. My----"

Evidently she was about to say something more, but a sound caught her
ear and she rose, dropping her sewing to the chair. "My brother is
coming," she said quietly. Standing near the door she caught
Ferguson's swift glance.

"Then it ain't a husband after all," he said, pretending surprise.

CHAPTER V