"Gimme a girl with flesh an'
color, an' blue eyes a-laughin'. Miss Castaneda is some peach,
I'll not gainsay. But her face seemed too white. An' when she
flashed those eyes on me, I thought I was shot! When she stood
up there at first, thankin' us, I felt as if a--a princess was round
somewhere. Now, Nell is kiddish an' sweet an'--"
"Chop it," interrupted Belding. "Here comes Nell now."
Dick's tingling ears took in the pattering of light footsteps,
the rush of some one running.
"Here you are," cried a sweet, happy voice. "Dad, the Senorita
is perfectly lovely. I've been peeping at her. She sleeps like--like
death. She's so white. Oh, I hope she won't be ill."
"Shore she's only played out," said Laddy. "But she had spunk
while it lasted....I was just arguin' with Jim an' Tom about Miss
Castaneda."
"Gracious! Why, she's beautiful. I never saw any one so
beautiful....How strange and sad, that about her! Tell me more,
Laddy. You promised. I'm dying to know. I never hear anything
in this awful place. Didn't you say the Senorita had a sweetheart?"
"Shore I did."
"And he's a cavalryman?"
"Yes."
"Is he the young man who came with you?"
"Nope. That fellow's the one who saved the girl from Rojas."
"Ah! Where is he, Laddy?"
"He's in there asleep."
"Is he hurt?"
"I reckon not. He walked about fifteen miles."
"Is he--nice, Laddy?"
"Shore."
"What is he like?"
"Well, I'm not long acquainted, never saw him by day, but I was
some tolerable took with him.
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