Her father and sister were asleep. Next morning, on a plea of not wishing to alarm them, she refrained from telling of the shot. It may have been a hunter, she reasoned, or a drunken trooper, or one of the Shanty Town gang. But the laugh--it rang in her ears.
Several twilights passed, then she ventured out again. A lip of moon was dropping down an unclouded sky; the stars hung low and white. And when she neared the swale, she saw, a good distance before her, that small black object separate itself from the grove again and move forward.
She stopped. She was not frightened now. She knew who it was. And when she saw his arms come up, and caught the glint of metal, she called out to him: "Don't! _don't_! It's me!"
There was a muttered exclamation, and the arms fell. "Miss Dallas," he cried, and sprang forward.
"I--I was sure it was you," she admitted tremulously. "And you've been guarding here all the time!"
Lounsbury was panting. "Suppose I'd fired?" he said. "I had a mind to. Crimini!"
"Maybe not. You see, I thought, well--that Matthews or that precious brother of his, they might get to bothering you folks. Anyway, ain't it dangerous for you to be out here late like this?"
"It is for you. You get shot at--keeping guard on us."
He thumped the swale impatiently with the butt of his gun.
"Oh, it _was_ you," she persisted, gravely enough; "that is why I came to-night."
"Ah! You mean that I can help you, Miss Dallas. Tell me--tell me, what can I do?"
Lounsbury laid down his gun. When he straightened, he stepped to her side. "Me?" he said. "Well, I'm a match for him. You ain't. But what else?"
He saw she was disconcerted, and strove to put her at ease. "Do you know," he said, "you're so tall in that coat, you almost look like a 'heap big chief.'"
She did not hear him. She was not listening. The wished-for opportunity was come. She was trying desperately to rally a speech. "You--you ain't been 'round of late," she began at last. "I hope----" But she could not finish,
"No," he said slowly. He rammed his hands into his trouser pockets. "I haven't been around lately. But--I didn't think you'd notice it." He darted a glance at her.
"Was it dad?" she asked. "Did you think----"
"Yes, it was your father. I thought he went out of his way to be--well, kinda short, you know. I was only trying t' be decent."