result she had directly
appealed to his better judgment, and enabled him to perceive her from
an entirely fresh view-point. Her clearly expressed disdain, her
sturdy independence both of word and action, coupled with her frankly
voiced dislike, awoke within him an earnest desire to stand higher in
her regard. Her dark, glowing eyes were lowered upon the white face of
the dead man, yet Hampton noted how clear, in spite of sun-tan, were
those tints of health upon the rounded cheek, and how soft and glossy
shone her wealth of rumpled hair. Even the tinge of color, so
distasteful in the full glare of the sun, appeared to have darkened
under the shadow, its shade framing the downcast face into a pensive
fairness. Then he observed how dry and parched her lips were.

"Take a drink of this," he insisted heartily, holding out toward her as
he spoke his partially filled canteen.

She started at the unexpected sound of his voice, yet uplifted the
welcome water to her mouth, while Hampton, observing it all closely,
could but remark the delicate shapeliness other hand.

"If that old fellow was her father," he reflected soberly, "I should
like to have seen her mother."

"Thank you," she said simply, handing back the canteen, but without
lifting her eyes again to his face. "I was so thirsty." Her low tone,
endeavoring to be polite enough, contained no note of encouragement.

"Was Gillis your father?" the man questioned, determined to make her
recognize his presence.

"I suppose so; I don't know."

"You don't know? Am I to understand you are actually uncertain whether
this man was your father or not?"

"That is about what I said, was n't it? Not that it is any of your
business, so far as I know, Mr. Bob Hampton, but I answered you all
right. He brought me up, and I called him 'dad' about as far back as I
can remember, but I don't reckon as he ever told me he was my father.
So you can understand just what you please."

"His name was Gillis, was n't it?"

The girl nodded wearily.

"Post-trader at Fort Bethune?"

Again the rumpled head silently acquiesced.

"What is your name?"

"He always called me 'kid,'" she admitted unwillingly, "but I reckon if
you have any further occasion for addressing me, you'd better say,
'Miss Gillis.'"

Hampton laughed lightly, his reckless humor instantly restored by her
perverse manner.

"Heaven preserve me!" he exclaimed good naturedly, "but you are
certainly laying it on thi