FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168  
169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   >>  
red Givens readily. "It's a wonder the coyotes didn't scare him to death. You see, Jim Webster, our horse wrangler, brought a little terrier pup into camp last week. The pup made life miserable for Bill--he used to chase him around and chew his hind legs for hours at a time. Every night when bedtime came Bill would sneak under one of the boy's blankets and sleep to keep the pup from finding him. I reckon he must have been worried pretty desperate or he wouldn't have run away. He was always afraid to get out of sight of camp." Josefa looked at the body of the fierce animal. Givens gently patted one of the formidable paws that could have killed a yearling calf with one blow. Slowly a red flush widened upon the dark olive face of the girl. Was it the signal of shame of the true sportsman who has brought down ignoble quarry? Her eyes grew softer, and the lowered lids drove away all their bright mockery. "I'm very sorry," she said humbly; "but he looked so big, and jumped so high that--" "Poor old Bill was hungry," interrupted Givens, in quick defence of the deceased. "We always made him jump for his supper in camp. He would lie down and roll over for a piece of meat. When he saw you he thought he was going to get something to eat from you." Suddenly Josefa's eyes opened wide. "I might have shot you!" she exclaimed. "You ran right in between. You risked your life to save your pet! That was fine, Mr. Givens. I like a man who is kind to animals." Yes; there was even admiration in her gaze now. After all, there was a hero rising out of the ruins of the anti-climax. The look on Givens's face would have secured him a high position in the S.P.C.A. "I always loved 'em," said he; "horses, dogs, Mexican lions, cows, alligators--" "I hate alligators," instantly demurred Josefa; "crawly, muddy things!" "Did I say alligators?" said Givens. "I meant antelopes, of course." Josefa's conscience drove her to make further amends. She held out her hand penitently. There was a bright, unshed drop in each of her eyes. "Please forgive me, Mr. Givens, won't you? I'm only a girl, you know, and I was frightened at first. I'm very, very sorry I shot Bill. You don't know how ashamed I feel. I wouldn't have done it for anything." Givens took the proffered hand. He held it for a time while he allowed the generosity of his nature to overcome his grief at the loss of Bill. At last it was clear that he had forgiven her. "Pleas
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168  
169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   >>  



Top keywords:
Givens
 

Josefa

 

alligators

 

brought

 

wouldn

 
looked
 
bright
 

position

 
rising
 

secured


climax

 

risked

 
exclaimed
 

Suddenly

 
opened
 

animals

 
admiration
 
readily
 

instantly

 

ashamed


forgive

 

frightened

 

proffered

 

forgiven

 

allowed

 

generosity

 

nature

 

overcome

 

Please

 

crawly


demurred

 
things
 

horses

 

Mexican

 

penitently

 
unshed
 

amends

 
antelopes
 

conscience

 
afraid

Webster
 

wrangler

 
worried
 
pretty
 

desperate

 

killed

 
yearling
 

formidable

 
fierce
 

animal