eighteen," she corrected quickly. "I was seventeen two weeks
ago!"

The quick, undefined little note of eagerness in her voice made his
heart thump. He nodded, and smiled.

"Yes, going on eighteen," he said. "And pretty soon some young fellow
will come along, and see you, and marry you--"

"O-o-o-h-h-h!"

It was a little, strange cry that came to her lips, and Jolly Roger saw
a quick throbbing in her bare throat, and her eyes were so wide-open
and startled as she looked at him that he felt, for a moment, as if the
resolution in his soul was giving way.

"Where are you goin', Mister Roger?"

"Me? Oh, I'm not going anywhere--not for a time, at least. But
you--you'll surely be going away with some one--some day."

"I won't," she denied hotly. "I hate men! I hate all but you, Mister
Jolly Roger. And if you go away--"

"Yes, if I go away--

"I'll kill Jed Hawkins!"

Involuntarily she reached out a slim hand to the big gun on the corner
of the table.

"I'll kill 'im, if you go away," she threatened again, "He's broken his
wife, and crippled her, and if it wasn't for her I'd have gone long
ago. But I've promised, and I'm goin' to stay--until something happens.
And if you go--now--"

At the choking throb in her throat and the sudden quiver that came to
her lips, Jolly Roger jumped up for the coffee pot, though his cup was
still half full.

"I won't go, Nada," he cried, trying to laugh. "I promise--cross my
heart and hope to die! I won't go--until you tell me I can."

And then, feeling that something had almost gone wrong for a moment,
Peter yipped from his nest in the bunk, and the gladness in Nada's eyes
thanked Jolly Roger for his promise when he came back with the coffee
pot. Standing behind her, he made pretense of refilling her cup, though
she had scarcely touched it, and all the time his eyes were looking at
her beautiful head, and he saw again the dampness in her hair.

"What happened in the creek, Nada?" he asked.

She told him, and at the mention of his name Peter drew his bristling
little head erect, and waited expectantly. He could see Jolly Roger's
face, now staring and a bit shocked, and then with a quick smile
flashing over it; and when Nada had finished, Jolly Roger leaned a
little toward her in the lampglow, and said,

"You've got to promise me something, Nada. If Jed Hawkins ever hits you
again, or pulls your hair, or even threatens to do it--will you tell
me?" Nada hesitated.

"If you