"Then, Mr. Cowles,
you do not care to go back down the valley, and to return to the girl in
Virginia?"
"You are a coward to make any such request."
His long white teeth showed as he answered. "Very well," he said. "It is
the game. Let the best man win. Shall it then be war?"
"Let the best man win," I answered. "It is war."
We both smiled, each into the other's face.
CHAPTER XXIV
FORSAKING ALL OTHERS
When finally our entire party had been gotten across the Platte, and we
had resumed our westward journey, the routine of travel was, for the
time, broken, and our line of march became somewhat scattered across the
low, hilly country to which we presently came. For my own part, our
progress seemed too slow, and mounting my horse, I pushed on in advance
of the column, careless of what risk this might mean in an Indian
country. I wished to be alone; and yet I wished to be not alone. I hoped
that might occur which presently actually did happen.
It was early in the afternoon when I heard her horse's feet coming up
behind me as I rode. She passed me at a gallop; laughing back as though
in challenge, and so we raced on for a time, until we quite left out of
sight behind us the remainder of our party.
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