Page:Cornelia Meigs-The Pirate of Jasper Peak.djvu/48

 He was very big, as Hugh noticed at first glance, taller than any other man there, and  strong and heavy in proportion. One of his broad shoulders sagged a little under the strap of  a heavy pack which he presently unbuckled and  dropped upon the floor. His hair was very long and black under his slouch hat and his skin was  so dark that Hugh felt sure he must be an Indian.

“Any mail for me?” he called across to the postmistress without troubling himself to turn around.

Miss Christina had disappeared somewhere into the protecting depths of the postoffice department. Her voice rose, trembling, from behind the partition,

“I think so,” she said, “but it’s been here some time. I will have to look it out.”

“No hurry,” returned the man with an insolent laugh at the quavering of her voice; “don’t disturb yourself so much. I can wait.”

He threw himself down upon one of the benches and pushed back his hat. Hugh felt something like a shudder when he first saw his