Lynette put up her arms and stretched and yawned sleepily, and then, like a little girl of six, put her knuckles into her eyes. Then she, too, sat up quickly.
"Oh," she said brightly. "Are you awake already? And making not a bit of noise, so as to let me have my sleep out? Good morning, Mr. Timber-Wolf!"
She was smiling at him! Smiling with soft red lips and gay eyes!
He frowned and with a sudden lurch was on his feet.
"Come," he said harshly. "I want to make an early start."
She sprang to her feet as though all eagerness, exclaiming brightly:
"If you'll get the fire started, I'll have breakfast in a minute! There isn't much in the larder, but you'll see what a nice breakfast I can make of it. Then I'll dress your wound and we'll be on our way."
"Look here," muttered Standing, swinging about to stare at her, "what the devil are you up to?"
"What do you mean?" she asked innocently.
"I mean this cheap play-acting stuff ... as though you were as happy as a bird!"
"Why, I always believe in making the best of a bad mess, don't you?" she retorted. "And, after all, how do you know that I'm not as happy as a bird? I nearly always am."
His eyes were blazing, his face flushed; she saw that she was lashing him into rage. She began to fear that she had gone too far; for the present she would go no farther. But meanwhile she gave him no hint of any trepidation, but kept the clear, unconcerned look in her eyes.
He strode away from her, toward the charred remains of last night's fire. He held her chain in his hand; she hurried along after him, so that not once could the links tighten; so that not once could he feel that he was dragging an unwilling captive behind him. Her heart was beating like mad; she was aquiver with excitement over the working out of her scheme, yet she gave him no inkling of any kind of nervousness.
"I don't know what you are up to and I don't care," he said abruptly. "You are to do what you are told, girl."
"Of course!" she said quickly. "I understand that. I am ready...."
"I am going to take the chain off you now, simply because I don't need it during daylight. But you're not to run away; if you try it I'll run you down and drag you back. Do you understand? And after that I'll keep you chained up."