Page:Edison Marshall--Shepherds of the wild.djvu/130

122 far indeed from the truth. Her mind leaped at once to what seemed to her the most plausible explanation,—that Hugh was a humble white man, friend of Pete's, possibly a laborer out of work, or a hungry wanderer from the East. He had taken the herder's place in hopes of securing a permanent position when the camp-tender returned.

"Before I decide to stay," Hugh replied steadily, "I'd like to know a few things."

"We'll pay you two dollars a day—and furnish you with supplies," she assured him soberly.

Hugh did not smile. After all, the wage was an important consideration. The girl was evidently a partner with her father in this sheep-raising venture, and possibly for the sake of economy but probably because of the acute shortage of labor (Hugh had not forgotten the Indian's words) had worked as camp-tender herself. Her perfect health, her strong, lithe body, a skill with horses and a wholesome scarcity of nonsense in her disposition had enabled her to fill the position well and in all probability to enjoy it.

Hugh studied her face with growing interest. In his sphere of life girls did not drive trains of pack horses into the rugged hills, do a man's work in the open, have dealings with uneducated herders, and still laugh like silver bells.

She wore, he noticed, a rather heavy revolver slung at her hip. Her hand was small and