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The girl's soft eyes sparkled。 〃Let ME；〃 she said； vivaciously。
〃Do！ I'm good at wounds。 Come over here。 Nostay there。 I'll
come over to you。〃
She did； bestriding the back of the middle seat and dropping at his
side。 The magnetic fingers again touched his； he felt her warm
breath on his neck as she bent toward him。
〃It's nothing；〃 he said； hastily； more agitated by the treatment
than the wound。
〃Give me your flask；〃 she responded； without heeding。 A stinging
sensation as she bathed the edges of the cut with the spirit
brought him back to common sense again。 〃There；〃 she said；
skillfully extemporizing a bandage from her handkerchief and a
compress from his cravat。 〃Now； button your coat over your chest；
so； and don't take cold。〃 She insisted upon buttoning it for him；
greater even than the feminine delight in a man's strength is the
ministration to his weakness。 Yet； when this was finished； she
drew a little away from him in some embarrassmentan embarrassment
she wondered at； as his skin was finer； his touch gentler； his
clothes cleaner； andnot to put too fine a point upon ithe
exhaled an atmosphere much sweeter than belonged to most of the men
her boyish habits had brought her in contact withnot excepting
her own father。 Later she even exempted her mother from the
possession of this divine effluence。 After a moment she asked；
suddenly； 〃What are you going to do with Hornsby？〃
Cass had not thought of him。 His short…lived rage was past with
the occasion that provoked it。 Without any fear of his adversary
he would have been content and quite willing to meet him no more。
He only said； 〃That will depend upon him。〃
〃Oh； you won't hear from him again；〃 said she； confidently； 〃but
you really ought to get up a little more muscle。 You've no more
than a girl。〃 She stopped； a little confused。
〃What shall I do with your handkerchief？〃 asked the uneasy Cass；
anxious to change the subject。
〃Oh； keep it； if you want to； only don't show it to everybody as
you did that ring you found。〃 Seeing signs of distress in his
face； she added： 〃Of course that was all nonsense。 If you had
cared so much for the ring you couldn't have talked about it； or
shown it。 Could you？〃
It relieved him to think that this might be true； he certainly had
not looked at it in that light before。
〃But did you really find it？〃 she asked； with sudden gravity。
〃Really； now？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃And there was no real May in the case？〃
〃Not that I know of；〃 laughed Cass； secretly pleased。
But Miss Porter； after eying him critically for a moment jumped up
and climbed back again to her seat。 〃Perhaps you had better give
me that handkerchief back。〃
Cass began to unbutton his coat。
〃No！ no！ Do you want to take your death of cold？〃 she screamed。
And Cass； to avoid this direful possibility； rebuttoned his coat
again over the handkerchief and a peculiarly pleasing sensation。
Very little now was said until the rattling； bounding descent of
the coach denoted the approach to Red Chief。 The straggling main
street disclosed itself； light by light。 In the flash of
glittering windows and the sound of eager voices Miss Porter
descended； without waiting for Cass's proffered assistance； and
anticipated Mountain Charley's descent from the box。 A few
undistinguishable words passed between them。
〃You kin freeze to me； Miss；〃 said Charley； and Miss Porter；
turning her frank laugh and frankly opened palm to Cass； half
returned the pressure of his hand and slipped away。
A few days after the stage coach incident； Mountain Charley drew up
beside Cass on the Blazing Star turnpike； and handed him a small
packet。 〃I was told to give ye that by Miss Porter。 Hushlisten！
It's that rather old dog…goned ring o' yours that's bin in all the
papers。 She's bamboozled that sap…headed county judge； Boompointer；
into givin' it to her。 Take my advice and sling it away for some
other feller to pick up and get looney over。 That's all！〃
〃Did she say anything？〃 asked Cass； anxiously； as he received his
lost treasure somewhat coldly。
〃Well； yes！ I reckon。 She asked me to stand betwixt Hornsby and
you。 So don't YOU tackle him； and I'll see HE don't tackle you；〃
and with a portentous wink Mountain Charley whipped up his horses
and was gone。
Cass opened the packet。 It contained nothing but the ring。
Unmitigated by any word of greeting； remembrance； or even raillery；
it seemed almost an insult。 Had she intended to flaunt his folly
in his face； or had she believed he still mourned for it and deemed
its recovery a sufficient reward for his slight service？ For an
instant he felt tempted to follow Charley's advice； and cast this
symbol of folly and contempt in the dust of the mountain road。 And
had she not made his humiliation complete by begging Charley's
interference between him and his enemy？ He would go home and send
her back the handkerchief she had given him。 But here the
unromantic reflection that although he had washed it that very
afternoon in the solitude of his own cabin； he could not possibly
iron it； but must send it 〃rough dried；〃 stayed his indignant feet。
Two or three days； a week； a fortnight even； of this hopeless
resentment filled Cass's breast。 Then the news of Kanaka Joe's
acquittal in the State Court momentarily revived the story of the
ring； and revamped a few stale jokes in the camp。 But the interest
soon flagged； the fortunes of the little community of Blazing Star
had been for some months failing； and with early snows in the
mountain and wasted capital in fruitless schemes on the river；
there was little room for the indulgence of that lazy and original
humor which belonged to their lost youth and prosperity。 Blazing
Star truly； in the grim figure of their slang； was 〃played out。〃
Not dug out； worked out； or washed out； but dissipated in a year of
speculation and chance。
Against this tide of fortune Cass struggled manfully； and even
evoked the slow praise of his companions。 Better still； he won a
certain praise for himself； in himself； in a consciousness of
increased strength； health； power； and self…reliance。 He began to
turn his quick imagination and perception to some practical
account； and made one or two discoveries which quite startled his
more experienced but more conservative companions。 Nevertheless；
Cass's discoveries and labors were not of a kind that produced
immediate pecuniary realization； and Blazing Star； which consumed
so many pounds of pork and flour daily； did not unfortunately
produce the daily equivalent in gold。 Blazing Star lost its
credit。 Blazing Star was hungry； dirty； and ragged。 Blazing Star
was beginning to set。
Participating in the general ill luck of the camp； Cass was not
without his own individual mischances。 He had resolutely
determined to forget Miss Porter and all that tended to recall the
unlucky