“Well, I git down here,” said the girl, and before his mule stopped she slid from behind him and made for the gate without a word of thanks or good-by.
“Howdye!” said Hale, taking in the group with his glance, but leaving his eyes on young Dave. The rest nodded, but the boy was too surprised for speech, and the spirit of deviltry took the girl when she saw her brother's face, and at the gate she turned:
“Much obleeged,” she said. “Tell June I'm a-comin' over to see her next Sunday.”
“I will,” said Hale, and he rode on. To his surprise, when he had gone a hundred yards, he heard the boy spurring after him and he looked around inquiringly as young Dave drew alongside; but the boy said nothing and Hale, amused, kept still, wondering when the lad would open speech. At the mouth of another little creek the boy stopped his horse as though he was to turn up that way. “You've come back agin,” he said, searching Hale's face with his black eyes.
“Yes,” said Hale, “I've come back again.”
The boy hesitated, and a sudden change of mind was plain to Hale in his face. “I wish you'd tell Uncle Judd about the trouble in town to-day,” he said, still looking fixedly at Hale.
“Did you tell the Red Fox that day you seed him when you was goin' over to the Gap last fall that you seed me at Uncle Judd's?”
“No,” said Hale. “But how did you know that I saw the Red Fox that day?” The boy laughed unpleasantly.
“So long,” he said. “See you agin some day.” The way was steep and the sun was down and darkness gathering before Hale reached the top of the mountain--so he hallooed at the yard fence of the Red Fox, who peered cautiously out of the door and asked his name before he came to the gate. And there, with a grin on his curious mismatched face, he repeated young Dave's words:
“You've come back agin.” And Hale repeated his:
“Yes,” said Hale impatiently, “I'm going over to Lonesome Cove. Can I stay here all night?”
“Shore!” said the old man hospitably. “That's a fine hoss you got thar,” he added with a chuckle. “Been swappin'?” Hale had to laugh as he climbed down from the bony ear-flopping beast.
“Yes, I seed you thar.” Hale could not resist: “Yes, and I seed you.” The old man almost turned.
“Whar?” Again the temptation was too great.