"I knew there was someone." Burke spoke rather unwillingly. "I don"t think he ever actually spoke of you to me. We"re not exactly--kindred spirits, he and I."
"You don"t like him," said Sylvia.
"Nor he me," said Burke Ranger.
She looked at him with her candid eyes. "I don"t think you are very tolerant of weakness, are you?" she said gently.
"I don"t know," he said non-committally. "Won"t you tell me about yourself?"
The subject of Guy was obviously distasteful to him, yet her whole life during the past five years had been so closely linked to the thought of that absent lover of hers that it was impossible to speak of the one without the other. She told him all without reservation, feeling in a fashion that it was his right to know.
He listened gravely, without comment, until she ended, when he made one brief observation. "And so you chose the deep sea!"
"Could I have done anything else?" she said. "Would you have done anything else?"
"Probably not," he said. "But a man is better equipped to fight the undercurrents!"
"You think I was very rash?" she questioned.
He smiled. "One doesn"t look for caution in a girl. I think your father deserved a horsewhipping, for letting you go."
"He couldn"t prevent me," said Sylvia quickly.
"Pshaw!" said Burke Ranger.
"You"re very rude," she protested.
His smile became a laugh. "I could have prevented you," he said.
She flushed. "Indeed you couldn"t! I am not a namby-pamby miss. I go my own way. I----"
She broke off suddenly. Burke"s eyes, grey as steel in his sun-tanned face, were upon her. He looked amused at her vehemence.
"Well?" he said encouragingly. "Finish!"
She laughed in spite of herself. "No, I shan"t say any more. I never argue with the superior male. I just--go my own way, that"s all."
"From which I gather that you are not particularly partial to the superior male," said Burke.
"I hate the species," said Sylvia with simplicity.
"Except when it kneels at your feet," he suggested, looking ironical.
"No, I want to kick it then," she said.
"You seem difficult to please," he observed.
Sylvia looked out across the _veldt_. "I like a man to be just a jolly comrade," she said. "If he can"t be that, I"ve no use for him."
"I see," said Burke slowly. "That"s to be my _role_, is it?"
She turned to him impulsively with extended hand. "I think you can fill it if you try."
He took the hand, grasping it strongly. "All right. I"ll try," he said.
"You don"t mind?" she said half-wistfully. "You see, it makes such a difference to feel there"s someone like that to turn to in trouble--someone who won"t let you down."
"I shan"t let you down," said Burke.
Her fingers closed hard on his. "You"re a brick," she said. "Now let"s have some lunch, and then, if you don"t mind, I"m going to sleep!"
"Best thing you can do," said Burke.
They rested for the greater part of the afternoon in the shadow of their boulder. Sylvia lay with her head on a light rug that he spread for her, and he sat with his back to the rock and smoked with eyes fixed straight before him.
Sleep came to the girl very quickly for she was tired, and her healthy young body was swift to find repose. But the man, watching beside her, did not even doze. He scarcely varied his position throughout his vigil, scarcely glanced at the figure nestled in the long gra.s.s so close to him. But his att.i.tude had the alertness of the man on guard, and his brown face was set in grimly resolute lines. It gave no indication whatever of that which was pa.s.sing in his mind.
CHAPTER IX
THE ARRIVAL
It was drawing towards evening when Sylvia at length stirred, stretched, and opened her eyes. A momentary bewilderment showed in them, then with a smile she saw and recognized her companion.
She sat up quickly. "I must have been asleep for ages. Why didn"t you wake me?"
"I didn"t want to," he said.
She looked at him. "What have you been doing? Have you been asleep?"
He raised his shoulders to the first question. To the second he replied merely, "No."
"Why didn"t you smoke?" she asked next.
For an instant he looked half-ashamed, then very briefly, "I don"t live on tobacco," he said.
"How very silly of you!" said Sylvia. "It wouldn"t have disturbed me in the least. I smoke cigarettes myself."
Burke said nothing. After a moment he got to his feet.
"Time to go?" she said.
"Yes. I think we ought to be moving. We have some miles to go yet. You sit still while I get the horses in!"
But Sylvia was on her feet. "No. I"m coming to help. I like to do things. Isn"t it hot? Do you think there will be a storm?"
He looked up at the sky. "No, not yet. It"ll take some time to break. Are you afraid of storms?"