He began to speak.
"It's this way. I come out here to shoot a hoss, and I've worked
tolerable hard to get in rifle range. I guess Hervey has been saying
that I've got into shooting distance a dozen times but it ain't true.
He happened to be sneaking about to-day, and he saw Alcatraz come
close by me for the first time."
He paused. "I'll give you my word on that."
"You don't need to" said the girl, impetuously.
His eyes flashed up at her, at that, and he stood suddenly straight as
though she had given him the right to stop cringing and talk like a
man. What on earth, she wondered, could have forced the man to such
humility? It made her shrink as one might on seeing an eagle cower
before a wren. As for Perris, his resentment was in no wise abated by
her friendliness. She had given him some moments of torture and the
memory of that abasement would haunt him many a day. He mutely vowed
that she should pay for it, and went on: "I sure wanted to sing when I
caught Alcatraz in the sights. I pulled a bead on him just behind the
shoulder but I could see the muscles along his shoulders working and
it was a pretty sight, Miss Jordan."
She nodded, frowning in the intentness with which she followed him.
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