Page:Son of the wind.djvu/147

RV 135 her hands apart, the palms open with a gesture as free as if they had released liberty itself.

His eyes were on her; but out of the tail of one he had sighted a thing she was unaware of, since it was behind her. A shadow had slid forward from the shelter of the abutting end of a hill and paused, quivering with arrested motion. The horses in the grove fussed. He heard them tugging at their halters, then the shrill whinny of the chest- nut mare startled both man and woman.

"Look there!" Carron said. He indicated the shadow. He had startled the girl, but, strangely enough, she did not look. Shrinking, drawing in her arms close to her body, she stared straight at him, for a moment; then made a rapid start as if she would have flung herself forward upon him. He had an instinct she meant to cover his eyes. He caught her by one wrist and, with his hand against her cheek, gently forced her head around in the direction of his pointing.

The body that had cast the shadow stood there, plain in view, a small, blackish horse, with head flung up, staring upon them. As her eyes took it in she gave a quick little sigh, catching in her throat, and he felt her tense muscles relax.

"Oh," she said, and again, "Oh! I thought—I thought it was—"