Under this light she
could see him more clearly, and she became aware of the thing she dreaded,
the faint smile which barely touched at the corners of his mouth; and in
his eyes a swirl of yellow light, half guessed at, half real. All her
strength poured out of her. She felt her knees buckle, felt the fingers
about the light revolver butt relax, felt every nerve grow slack. She was
helpless, and it was not fear of the man, but of something which stalked
behind him, inhuman, irresistible; not the wolf-dog, but something more
than Satan, and Bart, and Whistling Dan, something of which they were only
a part.
He began to whistle, thoughtfully, like one who considers a plan of action
and yet hesitates to begin. She felt his eyes run over her, as if judging
how he should put her most gently to one side; then from the house, very
lightly, hardly more than an echo of Dan's whistling, came an answer--the
very same refrain. Joan was calling to him.
At that he stepped forward, but the thing which stirred him, had hardened
the mind of Kate. The weakness passed in a flash.
Pages:
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376