“I'm a fool--that's what I am,” she said hotly.
“No, you aren't! Come on, little girl! We're friends again, aren't we?” June was digging at her eyes with both hands.
“Yes,” she said with an angry little catch of her breath, and she turned submissively to let him lift her to her seat. Then she looked down into his face.
“Jack,” she said, and he started again at the frank address, “I ain't NEVER GOIN' TO DO THAT NO MORE.”
“Yes, you are, little girl,” he said soberly but cheerily. “You're goin' to do it whenever I'm wrong or whenever you think I'm wrong.” She shook her head seriously.
In a few minutes they were at the foot of the mountain and on a level road.
“Hold tight!” Hale shouted, “I'm going to let him out now.” At the touch of his spur, the big black horse sprang into a gallop, faster and faster, until he was pounding the hard road in a swift run like thunder. At the creek Hale pulled in and looked around. June's bonnet was down, her hair was tossed, her eyes were sparkling fearlessly, and her face was flushed with joy.
“Skeered o' what?” she asked, and Hale wondered if there was anything of which she would be afraid.
They were entering the Gap now and June's eyes got big with wonder over the mighty up-shooting peaks and the rushing torrent.
“See that big rock yonder, June?” June craned her neck to follow with her eyes his outstretched finger.
“Well, that's called Bee Rock, because it's covered with flowers--purple rhododendrons and laurel--and bears used to go there for wild honey. They say that once on a time folks around here put whiskey in the honey and the bears got so drunk that people came and knocked 'em in the head with clubs.”
“Well, what do you think o' that!” said June wonderingly.
Before them a big mountain loomed, and a few minutes later, at the mouth of the Gap, Hale stopped and turned his horse sidewise.
June saw the lovely little valley rimmed with big mountains. She could follow the course of the two rivers that encircled it by the trees that fringed their banks, and she saw smoke rising here and there and that was all. She was a little disappointed.
“It's mighty purty,” she said, “I never seed”--she paused, but went on without correcting herself--“so much level land in all my life.”