Once he fell into a doze from which he was startled by the impression that soft noises,not of wind or rain,were creeping over the earth.He sat erect with the confused fancy that wolves were slinking among the wheels,were glaring up at the windows,were dragging away the corpses.The sudden movement of his hand as it grasped his pistol awoke Lahoma.
She opened her eyes wide,but did not lift her cheek from the arm that lay along the cushion.There you are,she said,just as I was dreaming.
He pretended not to be uneasy,but his ears strained to catch the meaning of those mysterious movements of the night.Her voice cut across the vague murmur of the open plain:
You only came once!
Although her eyes were wide,she was apparently but half-awake;not a muscle moved as she looked into his face.I thought,she murmured,it was on account of Annabel.
I went away because I loved you,he answered softly.I promised Brick I'd go if I felt myself caring--and nobody could help caring for you.That's why I left the country.Just as soon as we laughed together--it happened.That's why I didn't come again.
Yes,sighed Lahoma,as if it was not so hard to understand,now.And that's why I've come back,he added.Because I've kept on loving you.
Yes,she sighed again.She closed her eyes and seemed to fall asleep.Perhaps it was a sort of knowing sleep that lost most of the world but clung tenaciously to a few ideas.The noises of the night died away.Presently he heard her murmur as a little smile crept about the parted lips,The cove's pretty big ...there's more room than I thought.
When she was wide awake,daylight had slipped through the windows.Oh,Wilfred!she exclaimed,sitting suddenly erect,and putting her hands to her head mechanically.Is--are we all right?
All right,said the young man cheerily.There's a good deal of snow on the ground but it was blown off the trail for the most part.Some friends have provided us with the means of going forward.