"I'll fix the bread sweet next time, Jimmy."
"No, no," said the husky voice peevishly. "She'll do it--Liddy'll do it.
Liddy's comin'."
"All right, Jimmy. All right."
After a moment Throng shook his head feebly and said, scarcely above a
whisper:
"But I be a durn fool--when she's not here."
Duc nodded and gave him more whisky and herbs. "My feet's cold," said
the old man, and Duc wrapped a bearskin round his legs.
II
For miles Pierre and Halby rode without a word. Then they got down and
walked for a couple of miles, to bring the blood into their legs again.
"The old man goes to By-by bientot," said Pierre at last.
"You don't think he'll last long?"
"Maybe ten days; maybe one. If we don't get the girl, out goes his
torchlight straight."
"She's been very good to him."
"He's been on his knees to her all her life."
"There'll be trouble out of this, though."
"Pshaw! The girl is her own master."
"I mean, someone will probably get hurt over there." He nodded in the
direction of Fort O'Battle.
"That's in the game. The girl is worth fighting for, hein?"
"Of course, and the law must protect her. It's a free country."
"So true, my captain," murmured Pierre drily. "It is wonderful what a
man will do for the law."
The tone struck Halby. Pierre was scanning the horizon abstractedly.
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