"Will you go out to wander between
heaven and hell--on a night like this?"
"I'm not going!" she answered, "I won't leave you--but oh--Dad!----"
He opened his lips for a fresh appeal, but the chorus of the wild geese
swept in upon the wind, blown loud and clear and jangling as distant
bells out of tune. And Kate Cumberland buried her face in her hands and
stumbled blindly out of the room and down the hall--and then they heard
the wild neighing of a horse outside.
"Buck!" commanded Joe Cumberland. "He's stealin' my girl--my Kate--go
out! call up the boys--tell'em to stop Dan from saddlin' a horse for
Kate----"
"Wait and listen!" cut in Buck Daniels. "D'you hear that?"
On the wet ground outside they heard a patter of galloping hoofs, and
then a wild whistling, sweet and keen and high, came ringing back to
them. It diminished rapidly with the distance.
"He's carryin' her off on Satan!" groaned Joe Cumberland, staggering as
he tried to step forward. "Buck, call out the boys. Even Satan can't
beat my hosses when he's carryin' double--call'em out--if you bring her
back----"
His voice choked and he stumbled and would have fallen to his knees had
not Buck Daniels sprang forward and caught him and carried him back to
the couch.
"What's happened there ain't no man can stop," said Buck hoarsely.
"God's work or devil's work--I dunno--but I know there ain't no place
for a man between Dan and Kate.
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