"Honey, why are you afraid? Oh, my baby!"
For an instant Joan stood free, wavering, and her eyes held steadily upon
her mother bright with nothing but fear and strangeness. Then something
melted in her little round face, she sighed.
"Munner!" and stole a pace closer. A moment later Kate sat with Joan in her
arms, rocking to and fro and weeping.
"What's happened?" gasped Haines to Daniels. "What's happened to the kid?"
"Don't talk," answered Buck, his face gray as that of Kate. "It's Dan's
blood."
He drew a great breath.
"Did you see her try to--to bite me while I was holdin' her?"
Kate had started to her feet, holding Joan in one arm and dashing away her
tears with the free hand. All weakness was gone from her.
"Hurry!" she commanded. "We haven't any time to lose. Buck, come here! No,
Lee, you're stronger. Honey, this is your Uncle Lee. He'll take care of
you; he won't hurt you. Will you go to him?"
Joan shrank away while she examined him, but the instincts of a child move
with thrice the speed of a mature person's judgment; she read the kindly
honesty which breathed from every line of Haines' face, and held out her
arms to him.
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