"
Her eyes were soft and her voice shook a little as she leaned towards him.
Something in his helplessness had kindled the protective spirit in her.
"Has life been so terrible for you?" she whispered. "Have you left
behind--but no! you never could have been really wicked. You are not very
old, are you? Why do you not stand up and be a man? If you have done
wrong, then very likely people have done wrong things to you. Why should
you brood over these memories? Why--... What are you looking at? Who are
these people?"
The Professor, with Quest and Long Jim, suddenly appeared round the corner
of the building. They walked towards Craig. He shrank back in his place.
"If these are your enemies," the girl cried fiercely, "remember that they
cannot touch you here. I'll have the boys out in a minute, if they dare to
try it."
Craig struggled to his feet. He made no answer. His eyes were fixed upon
the Professor's. The girl passed her arm through his and dragged him into
the saloon. They passed Jose in the doorway. He scoffed at them.
"Say, the boss will fire you, Marta, if you waste all your time with that
Yankee," he muttered.
Marta drew the red rose from the bosom of her dress and placed it in
Craig's buttonhole. Then she led him without a word to a seat.
"If these men try any tricks in here," she said, "there'll be trouble."
Almost at that moment they all three entered. Long Jim nodded to Craig in
friendly fashion.
"It's all right, cookie," he told them.
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