Retribution

"Oh, I've got to see!" Perversely, she caught up the field glasses from the table, drew them from their case, and, letting down the upper window sash with a slam, focused the glasses upon the river. "He usually crosses right at the mouth of the coulee--" She swung the glasses slowly about. "Oh, there he is--just on the bank. The river looks rather high--oh, your horse doesn't want to go in, Kent. He whirls on his hind feet, and tried to bolt when Manley started in--"

Kent had been watching her face jealously. "Here, let me take a look, will you? I can tell--" She yielded reluctantly, and in a moment he had caught the focus.

"Tell me what you see, Kent--everything," she begged, looking anxiously from his face to the river.

"Well, old Jake is fogging along down the coulee--but he ain't to the river yet, not by a long shot! Ah-h! Man's riding back to take a run in. That's the stuff--got Michael's feet wet that time, the old freak! They came near going clean outa sight."

"The sheriff--is he close enough--" Val began fearfully. "Oh, we're too far away to do a thing!"

Kent kept his eyes to the glasses. "We couldn't do a thing if we were right there. Man's in swimming water already. Jake ain't riding in--from the motions he's ordering Man back."

"Oh, please let me look a minute! I won't get excited, Kent, and I'll tell you everything I see--please!" Val's teeth were fairly chattering with excitement, so that Kent hesitated before he gave up the glasses. But it seemed boorish to refuse. She snatched at them as he took them from his eyes, and placed them nervously to her own.