and straighten her head.
"Alone?" he asked her, as stingy with words as she was.
"No. I was with Alonzo."
"After all I told you about him?"
"Let's just say he's done nothing to prove your charges."
"I hope he never does, Norah."
"Why should you be concerned? You have Addie— Alonzo has warned her against you. He warned me, too. He told me some dreadful things. He dares you to deny them."
"Do you believe what he told you?"
"I don't know. What was Addie doing here? I saw you kiss her," Norah said, trying hard to control her voice. "I was in back of those bushes outside the gate."
"Do you know why Addie came?"
"I could guess. I saw her in your arms."
"You could be wrong, you know," Paul said. "Addie came to warm me."
"Warn you?"
"It appears I'm to be the victim of a trap," Paul explained.
For a moment there was silence, and he knew the girl was struggling with a problem.
"I think Addie made that up, Paul, to have an excuse to come and see you. It worked very well, didn't it?"
"Suppose she's telling the truth? Do you think I should ignore her warning?"
A new, deeper note came into Norah's voice. "No, Paul, of course not. If anything more happened to you—"
"Yes?"
"I'd feel awful."
"I'm glad to hear that, Norah. But you'd still have Finch."
"Yes," she said slowly, lowering her eyes, "yes, I'd still have Alonzo, wouldn't I?" Her tone was mocking.
Paul felt worry dog him. "What did Alonzo tell you about me, Norah?"
She kept her eyes lowered. "I know they were lies, the things he said."
"Like what?" Paul insisted.
"Well, he said you came from a family of crooks. He said one of your brothers was lynched for murder and the other one was run out of town. He said you stole a lot of money and ruined a man's life and that's why you're running away." She spoke the charges so swiftly the words ran together.
She was only a blur in the light now, and could not see his face. For this, Paul was glad. He knew his face was white, his eyes sharp and hateful. He mulled over ways of defending himself, of watering down the charges, so that they did not seem so blunt. Unconsciously he took a step toward her.
Before the step was completed, a rifle shot ripped open the night! Paul felt his hat jerked from his head. The whine of a bullet screamed and stopped as the bullet clawed its way into the trunk of a tree. Paul fell forward, dragging the girl down with him.
There was a faint sound of bushes rattling. Still Paul didn't move. He and the girl would be fair targets if they were on their feet. Then a sound came from some distance, a sound of feet running.
Paul leaped up without a word and vaulted the fence. He lost his footing as his high heels hit the earth, and he cursed. For another instant he stood, crouched, then heard a crashing in the brush to his right. He plunged that way, no longer trying to keep hidden. Whoever had shot at him was now panicked by failure and thought only of escape. Paul lunged on into the thickets of rabbit brush and greasewood, trying to get a glimpse of his assailant, but the brush was too tall.
He ran into a rough section of rocks and felt his leg double under him. He cursed aloud. He had twisted his ankle, but he could still navigate. He went on unsteadily and came into an open space, where a movement ahead of him caught his eye, a high dark shadow. He tried to find the outline of a man in in it, but he could not. Then it dawned on him. It was a horse!
He followed the animal, thinking there might be a man nearby. The horse evidently belonged to his assailant, who was undoubtedly afraid to mount for fear of being seen above the brush.
The trail led in the general direction of the Lone Chance. Whoever had plotted to kill him must have come from there. Paul decided to head for the Lone Chance when he suddenly discovered he had lost his gun. Furious at himself for his carelessness, he tried to think where it could be. The most logical place to search would be the rocky place where he had turned
"Alone?" he asked her, as stingy with words as she was.
"No. I was with Alonzo."
"After all I told you about him?"
"Let's just say he's done nothing to prove your charges."
"I hope he never does, Norah."
"Why should you be concerned? You have Addie— Alonzo has warned her against you. He warned me, too. He told me some dreadful things. He dares you to deny them."
"Do you believe what he told you?"
"I don't know. What was Addie doing here? I saw you kiss her," Norah said, trying hard to control her voice. "I was in back of those bushes outside the gate."
"Do you know why Addie came?"
"I could guess. I saw her in your arms."
"You could be wrong, you know," Paul said. "Addie came to warm me."
"Warn you?"
"It appears I'm to be the victim of a trap," Paul explained.
For a moment there was silence, and he knew the girl was struggling with a problem.
"I think Addie made that up, Paul, to have an excuse to come and see you. It worked very well, didn't it?"
"Suppose she's telling the truth? Do you think I should ignore her warning?"
A new, deeper note came into Norah's voice. "No, Paul, of course not. If anything more happened to you—"
"Yes?"
"I'd feel awful."
"I'm glad to hear that, Norah. But you'd still have Finch."
"Yes," she said slowly, lowering her eyes, "yes, I'd still have Alonzo, wouldn't I?" Her tone was mocking.
Paul felt worry dog him. "What did Alonzo tell you about me, Norah?"
She kept her eyes lowered. "I know they were lies, the things he said."
"Like what?" Paul insisted.
"Well, he said you came from a family of crooks. He said one of your brothers was lynched for murder and the other one was run out of town. He said you stole a lot of money and ruined a man's life and that's why you're running away." She spoke the charges so swiftly the words ran together.
She was only a blur in the light now, and could not see his face. For this, Paul was glad. He knew his face was white, his eyes sharp and hateful. He mulled over ways of defending himself, of watering down the charges, so that they did not seem so blunt. Unconsciously he took a step toward her.
Before the step was completed, a rifle shot ripped open the night! Paul felt his hat jerked from his head. The whine of a bullet screamed and stopped as the bullet clawed its way into the trunk of a tree. Paul fell forward, dragging the girl down with him.
There was a faint sound of bushes rattling. Still Paul didn't move. He and the girl would be fair targets if they were on their feet. Then a sound came from some distance, a sound of feet running.
Paul leaped up without a word and vaulted the fence. He lost his footing as his high heels hit the earth, and he cursed. For another instant he stood, crouched, then heard a crashing in the brush to his right. He plunged that way, no longer trying to keep hidden. Whoever had shot at him was now panicked by failure and thought only of escape. Paul lunged on into the thickets of rabbit brush and greasewood, trying to get a glimpse of his assailant, but the brush was too tall.
He ran into a rough section of rocks and felt his leg double under him. He cursed aloud. He had twisted his ankle, but he could still navigate. He went on unsteadily and came into an open space, where a movement ahead of him caught his eye, a high dark shadow. He tried to find the outline of a man in in it, but he could not. Then it dawned on him. It was a horse!
He followed the animal, thinking there might be a man nearby. The horse evidently belonged to his assailant, who was undoubtedly afraid to mount for fear of being seen above the brush.
The trail led in the general direction of the Lone Chance. Whoever had plotted to kill him must have come from there. Paul decided to head for the Lone Chance when he suddenly discovered he had lost his gun. Furious at himself for his carelessness, he tried to think where it could be. The most logical place to search would be the rocky place where he had turned
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