Pagina 3 di 439

The rigor of his gaze slowly softened to a smile compound both of

humor and grimness. He was a man to appreciate a piquant

situation, none the less because it was at his expense. The spark

that gleamed in his bold eye held some spice of the devil.

"All right. This is your hold-up, ma'am. I'll not move," he said,

almost genially.

She was uneasily aware that his surrender had been too tame.

Strength lay in that close-gripped salient jaw, in every line of

the reckless sardonic face, in the set of the lean muscular

shoulders. She had nerved herself to meet resistance, and instead

he was yielding with complacent good nature.

"Get out!" she commanded.

He stepped from the rig and offered her the reins. As she reached

for them his right hand shot out and caught the wrist that held

the weapon, his left encircled her waist and drew her to him. She

gave a little cry of fear and strained from him, fighting with

all her lissom strength to free herself.