"Oh, that's not necessary," said Kut-le serenely.  "Indians are pretty good to their women as a general thing. They average up with the whites, I guess. Molly, get up and help Cesca with these!"  He flung some newly killed rabbits at the gaping squaw, who still lay where she had fallen. 

 Rhoda, trembling and glowering, walked unsteadily up and down beneath the cottonwoods. The details of her new existence, the dirt, the roughness, were beginning to sink in on her. She paced back and forth, lips compressed, eyes black. Kut-le stood with his back against a cottonwood eying the slender figure with frank delight. Now and again he chuckled as he rolled a cigarette with his facile finger. His hands were fine as only an Indian's can be: strong and sinewy yet supple with slender fingers and almond-shaped nails. 

 He smoked contentedly with his eyes on the girl. Inscrutable as was his face at a casual glance, had Rhoda observed keenly she might have read much in the changing light of his eyes. There was appreciation of her and love of her and a merciless determination to hold her at all costs. And still as he gazed there was that tragedy in his look which is part and portion of the Indian's face. 

 Silence in the camp had continued for some time when a strange young Indian strode up the slope, nodded to the group in the camp, and deliberately rolled himself in a blanket and dropped to sleep. Rhoda stared at him questioningly. 

 "Alchise's and Cesca's son," said Kut-le.  "His job is to follow us at a distance and remove all trace of our trail. Not an overturned pebble misses his eye. I'll need him only for a day or two." 

 "Kut-le," said Rhoda suddenly, "when are you going to end the farce and let me go?" 

 The young man smiled. 

 "You know the way the farce usually ends! The man always gets the girl and they live happily forever after!" 

 "What do you suppose Jack and Katherine think of you? They have loved and trusted you so!" 

 For the first time the Indian's face showed pain. 

 "My hope is," he said, "that after they see how happy I am going to make you they will forgive me." 

 Rhoda controlled her voice with difficulty. 

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