She had no means of ascertaining where she was being taken, but the fact that her mount swished through long grass, slipped and slithered down stony declivities, and that branches brushed against her body, indicated that they were travelling a new or little-used route. Occasionally, when a mis-step on the part of her steed caused her to sway in the saddle, a hand gripped her arm. She gathered that there were several in her escort, but they spoke little, and then only in low tones so that words and voices were indistinguishable.
Nearly choked by the stifling folds of the blanket and wearied by the constant effort to stay in the saddle, the ride proved exhausting enough to the prisoner. At length, however, it came to an end. Lifted down, she was led into a building, up some stairs, and, following a curt order, subsided upon a seat of sorts. Then the blanket was removed and she looked into the grinning, triumphant face of King Burdette. He bowed mockingly.
"Welcome to the Circle B, Miss Purdie," he said. "The invite was a trifle pressin' mebbe, but it shows how eager we were to have yu."
The girl faced him with stormy, undaunted eyes. "What do you expect to gain by this outrage?" she asked.
"Just everythin' I want, honey," he replied. "An' that, o' course, includes yu."
Her gesture was contemptuous. "You must be mad," she told him. "How long do you think you can keep me here without it being known, and what will the men in town do to you when they hear?"
He smiled. "I ain't aimin' to make a secret of it, an' the fellas won't do a thing when they hear that yu came of yore own accord," he said.
"Do you imagine they'll believe that lie?"
"Why not? Yu won't be able to tell 'em any different. When yo're my wife
Her scornful, incredulous laugh moved him, but his face showed no sign of it. His insolent, appraising eyes travelled over her from head to foot, taking in the supple slimness of her rounded form, the youthful beauty of her features, weighing her up as he might have done a horse he contemplated buying. Under that searching scrutiny Nan felt the hot blood flame in her cheeks; she could not know that beneath his cold exterior the man's heart was pounding with passion, and that she had never been in greater danger. Burdette nodded slowly as he continued :
"That is, o' course, if I decide to concede yu a ceremony," he said carelessly. "So far, it hasn't been my custom, but in yore case it may suit me, even though yu are a Purdie."
If he expected this outrageous insult to cow the girl he was woefully mistaken. Nan came of a fighting stock--the daughter of a woman who had dared the dangers of the wilderness and fought Indians side by side with her man, was not of the breed to scare easily.
"You unspeakable beast," she cried, and the disgust in voice and look roused a demon of rage in him.
"Yu said it," he snarled. "I'll make that good."
With the speed of a striking snake his arms shot out, clutching her round the waist, raising and drawing her writhing form to his. In that grip of steel she was well-nigh powerless, but as the leering, lustful face neared her own she lifted her bound fists and brought them down full upon it. She expected he would kill her, but King Burdette only laughed in savage glee.
"That's the spirit," he cried. "Fight, my beauty, fight; I love yu for it. I don't give a damn for woman or hoss without some devil."
A quick snatch with his left hand imprisoned her wrists, forced them down, and she was helpless. Sick with horror, she felt his hot lips bruising her own, and then, as her body went limp in his grasp, he flung her from him so violently that she staggered and fell. For some seconds he stood over her, his hands clenched convulsively, battling with the desire which turned his blood to liquid fire. Then he laughed again, contentedly.
"That'll do--for now," he told her. His hand went to his face, wiping away a little smear of red. "Yu ain't begun to pay for that yet, but yu will; no man or woman ever struck King Burdette an' got away with it."
He went out, and she heard the key turn in the lock. Then despair claimed her and for long she lay sobbing on the floor.
It made a charming picture, the shadowy dell with its green carpet gaily spangled with flowers and slashed with golden light where the sunbeams penetrated the leafy branches overhead; the saddled pony, reins trailing, contentedly nibbling the grass, and the seated girl, arranging a lap-full of blossoms and crooning an old Mexican love-song. It was her voice that had drawn the C P foreman from the trail, and for a little he sat watching her, before riding forward. Not until he reached her did she look up, and then she was prettily surprised.
"Why, it ees my so brave deliverer of distressed damsels," she cried. "But thees time, senor, my pony no run away."
The puncher grinned. "Yu look a heap younger out here, but that ain't no reason for the baby-talk," he said.
"But, how ungallant," she reproached, "to accuse a lady of speaking childishly. Senor, I thought better of you."
"It's somethin' that yu thought of me a-tall," he retorted, and brought a tinge of colour into her softly-brown cheeks. "Yu have some right pretty blooms there."
"I love flowers," she said. "I think they're so--pure." She held up a Spanish bayonet, with its sheaf of creamy, waxen blossoms. "Doesn't look dangerous, does it? Yet see what I got when I gathered it." She pointed to a scratch on her slender wrist.
"I reckon every livin' thing has to fight some way orother for existence," Sudden smiled. "An' Nature provides the weapons accordin'. Roses has thorns, cats has claws"
"And poor woman?" she queried.
"Has a tongue--an' it's a-plenty," he finished.
She stood up, letting the flowers fall, and regarded him in mock displeasure. "I don't think you are a bit nice," she decided. "As a punishment I shall inflict my company on you for a while."
Before he could get down to help her she was in the saddle, moving with a swift, easy grace, and sat there smiling.
"Li'l Miss Tenderfoot is shore learnin'," she said, copying his own slow drawl, and set her pony moving.
"Shore is," he agreed, and swung Nigger beside her.
Silence held them for a time, the girl covertly studying this long, supple young man with the spare, bronzed face and smiling eyes which, on occasion, could become ice-cold and deadly in menace. She admired the careless confidence with which he sat his mount, reins hanging loosely, the slightest pressure of a knee seeming sufficient to guide the animal. His eyes too were busy. She rode well, her body swaying in rhythm with her pony's movements. She caught one of his admiring glances, and again the red blood stained her cheeks. She spoke hastily:
"I hope you haven't been swimming again?"
The corners of his mouth puckered up. "I'm game to try anythin' once, but I ain't a hawg," he replied. "As a bathin'-pool the Sluice is certainly over-rated."
"I went to see it--a horrible place," she said, and shivered. "I can't understand how you ever got out."
"I had a good friend," Sudden said simply.
"Yes, Mister Yago, wasn't it? I think it was fine of him. Some men would have left you there in the hope of getting your job."
"Bill can have that, or anythin' else I got--there's no limit," was the calm reply.
She knew he meant exactly that; his life even was included in the sweeping statement; it was no mere figure of speech. Though the words were spoken casually there was an under-current of feeling which carried conviction.
"Yet you haven't known him long," she mused.
He shot a sharp look at her, wondering if there was anything behind the remark. "Yu don't have to," was his noncommittal reply.
Again the conversation halted. She was considering him, curious to know something of his past. The long stirrup-leathers, which left the rider nearly standing, told of California, while the braided rawhide lariat and heavy Visaliatree'd, single-cinch saddle spoke eloquently of Texas. He talked like a Texan too, but there were times when his voice dropped to a low, indolent drawl, reminding her of a man from Virginia whom she had known. Impatiently she shook her head; she could not place him. Watching her eyes, he had divined what was in her mind.