Page:The Cow Jerry (1925).pdf/263

 lows at the river side. Louise looked at her reproachfully.

"It was a barbarous thing to do—tie a man that way and leave him to die!" Louise said. "I hope you catch the scoundrels that did it."

Maud hit a high note on the keyboard of her laughter there. It was almost a shriek of merriment. She rolled against the high-backed seat, drumming the buckboard with her hilarious heels.

Withers was beating the dust out of his trampled hat against the very wheel which had held him inglorious prisoner. He did not appear to hear Maud's unaccountable merriment.

"My horse seems to wandered off," Withers said, turning to Louise. "Could you give me a ride over to McPacken?"

"Not on your life!" said Maud, suddenly sober, exceedingly emphatic and severe. "Come on, kid. I guess you've done about all the damage you can do."

"Why not let him go with us, Maud? He could sit on the back."

"Come on here, I tell you, and shut up!" said Maud.

Louise was startled by the peremptory harshness of Maud's voice. She understood there was an old enmity between the houses of Kelly and Withers. She attributed Maud's hostility to that, and did not stand to make any further plea.

Withers did not press his appeal. As Louise took her place in the buckboard he turned away as if looking for his horse, his gratitude as short as his manner. At