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The girl drew her slight form up haughtily。 Through her
spreading tresses her eyes gleamed unnaturally upon the
outlaw leader。 But she deigned not to reply。
〃Hey thar you Rayner girl！〃 added Anson； lamely。 〃What's
ailin' you？〃
〃My lord！ did you address me？〃 she asked； loftily。
Shady Jones got over his consternation and evidently
extracted some humor from the situation； as his dark face
began to break its strain。
〃Aww！〃 breathed Anson； heavily。
〃Ophelia awaits your command； my lord。 I've been gathering
flowers；〃 she said； sweetly； holding up her empty hands as
if they contained a bouquet。
Shady Jones exploded in convulsed laughter。 But his
merriment was not shared。 And suddenly it brought disaster
upon him。 The girl flew at him。
〃Why do you croak； you toad？ I will have you whipped and put
in irons； you scullion！〃 she cried； passionately。
Shady underwent a remarkable change； and stumbled in his
backward retreat。 Then she snapped her fingers in Moze's
face。
〃You black devil！ Get hence！ Avaunt！〃
Anson plucked up courage enough to touch her。
〃Aww！ Now； Ophelyar 〃
Probably he meant to try to humor her； but she screamed； and
he jumped back as if she might burn him。 She screamed
shrilly； in wild； staccato notes。
〃You！ You！〃 she pointed her finger at the outlaw leader。
〃You brute to women！ You ran off from your wife！〃
Anson turned plum…color and then slowly white。 The girl must
have sent a random shot home。
〃And now the devil's turned you into a snake。 A long； scaly
snake with green eyes！ Uugh！ You'll crawl on your belly soon
when my cowboy finds you。 And he'll tramp you in the
dust。〃
She floated away from them and began to whirl gracefully；
arms spread and hair flying； and then； apparently oblivious
of the staring men； she broke into a low； sweet song。 Next
she danced around a pine； then danced into her little green
inclosure。 From which presently she sent out the most
doleful moans。
〃Aww！ What a shame！〃 burst out Anson。 〃Thet fine； healthy；
nervy kid！ Clean gone！ Daffy！ Crazy 'n a bedbug！〃
〃Shore it's a shame；〃 protested Wilson。〃 But it's wuss for
us。 Lord！ if we was hoodooed before； what will we be now？
Didn't I tell you； Snake Anson？ You was warned。 Ask Shady
an' Moze they see what's up。〃
〃No luck 'll ever come our way ag'in；〃 predicted Shady；
mournfully。
〃It beats me； boss； it beats me；〃 muttered Moze。
〃A crazy woman on my hands！ If thet ain't the last straw！〃
broke out Anson； tragically； as he turned away。 Ignorant；
superstitious； worked upon by things as they seemed； the
outlaw imagined himself at last beset by malign forces。 When
he flung himself down upon one of the packs his big
red…haired hands shook。 Shady and Moze resembled two other
men at the end of their ropes。
Wilson's tense face twitched； and he averted it； as
apparently he fought off a paroxysm of some nature。 Just
then Anson swore a thundering oath。
〃Crazy or not； I'll git gold out of thet kid！〃 he roared。
〃But； man； talk sense。 Are you gittin' daffy； too？ I declare
this outfit's been eatin' loco。 You can't git gold fer her！〃
said Wilson； deliberately。
〃Why can't I？〃
〃'Cause we're tracked。 We can't make no dickers。 Why； in
another day or so we'll be dodgin' lead。〃
〃Tracked！ Whar 'd you git thet idee？ As soon as this？〃
queried Anson； lifting his head like a striking snake。 His
men； likewise； betrayed sudden interest。
〃Shore it's no idee。 I 'ain't seen any one。 But I feel it in
my senses。 I hear somebody comin' a step on our trail
all the time night in particular。 Reckon there's a big
posse after us。〃
〃Wal； if I see or hear anythin' I'll knock the girl on the
head an' we'll dig out of hyar；〃 replied Anson； sullenly。
Wilson executed a swift forward motion； violent and
passionate； so utterly unlike what might have been looked
for from him； that the three outlaws gaped。
〃Then you'll shore hev to knock Jim Wilson on the haid
first；〃 he said； in voice as strange as his action。
〃Jim！ You wouldn't go back on me！〃 implored Anson； with
uplifted hands； in a dignity of pathos。
〃I'm losin' my haid； too； an' you shore might as well knock
it in； an' you'll hev to before I'll stand you murderin'
thet pore little gurl you've drove crazy。〃
〃Jim； I was only mad；〃 replied Anson。 〃Fer thet matter； I'm
growin' daffy myself。 Aw！ we all need a good stiff drink of
whisky。〃
So he tried to throw off gloom and apprehension； but he
failed。 His comrades did not rally to his help。 Wilson
walked away； nodding his head。
〃Boss； let Jim alone；〃 whispered Shady。 〃It's orful the way
you buck ag'in' him when you seen he's stirred up。 Jim's
true blue。 But you gotta be careful。〃
Moze corroborated this statement by gloomy nods。
When the card…playing was resumed； Anson did not join the
game； and both Moze and Shady evinced little of that
whole…hearted obsession which usually attended their
gambling。 Anson lay at length； his head in a saddle；
scowling at the little shelter where the captive girl kept
herself out of sight。 At times a faint song or laugh； very
unnatural； was wafted across the space。 Wilson plodded at
the cooking and apparently heard no sounds。 Presently he
called the men to eat； which office they surlily and
silently performed； as if it was a favor bestowed upon the
cook。
〃Snake； hadn't I ought to take a bite of grub over to the
gurl？〃 asked Wilson。
〃Do you hev to ask me thet？〃 snapped Anson。 〃She's gotta be
fed； if we hev to stuff it down her throat。〃
〃Wal； I ain't stuck on the job；〃 replied Wilson。 〃But I'll
tackle it； seein' you…all got cold feet。〃
With plate and cup be reluctantly approached the little
lean…to； and； kneeling； he put his head inside。 The girl；
quick…eyed and alert； had evidently seen him coming。 At any
rate； she greeted him with a cautious smile。
〃Jim； was I pretty good？〃 she whispered。
〃Miss； you was shore the finest aktress I ever seen；〃 he
responded； in a low voice。 〃But you dam near overdid it。 I'm
goin' to tell Anson you're sick now poisoned or somethin'
awful。 Then we'll wait till night。 Dale shore will help us
out。〃
〃Oh； I'm on fire to get away；〃 she exclaimed。 〃Jim Wilson；
I'll never forget you as long as I live！〃
He seemed greatly embarrassed。
〃Wal miss I I'll do my best licks。 But I ain't
gamblin' none on results。 Be patient。 Keep your nerve。 Don't
get scared。 I reckon between me an' Dale you'll git away
from heah。〃
Withdrawing his head； he got up and returned to the
camp…fire； where Anson was waiting curiously。
〃I left the grub。 But she didn't touch it。 Seems sort of
sick to me； like she was poisoned。〃
〃Jim； didn't I hear you talkin'？〃 asked Anson。
〃Shore。 I was coaxin' her。 Reckon she ain't so ranty as she
was。 But she shore is doubled…up； an' sickish。〃
〃Wuss an' wuss all the time；〃 said Anson； between his teeth。
〃An' where's Burt？ Hyar it's noon an' he left early。 He
never was no woodsman。 He's got lost。〃
〃Either thet or he's run into somethin'；〃 replied Wilson；
thoughtfully。
Anson doubled a huge fist and cursed deep under hi