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That young woman hesitated. Though this man had led his miners

against her brother, she was ready to believe the attack not

caused by personal enmity. The best of feeling did not exist

between the owners of the Jackrabbit and those of the Mal Pais.

Dunke was suspected of boldly crossing into the territory of his

neighbor where his veins did not lead. But there had been no open

rupture. For the very reason that an undertow of feeling existed

Nellie consented to join the party. She did not want by a refusal

to put into words a hostility that he had always carefully

veiled. She was in the position of not wanting to go at all, yet

wanting still less to decline to do so.

"I shall be glad to go," she said.

"Fine. We'll start about nine, or nine-thirty say. I'll drive up

in a surrey."

"And we'll have lunch for the party put up at the hotel here.

I'll get some fruit to take along," said Margaret.