Kells held the coat for her and she slipped into it. She seemed lost.
It was long, coming way below her hips, and for the first time in
days she felt she was Joan Randle again.
"Modesty is all very well in a woman, but it's not always becoming,"
remarked Kells. "Turn up your collar. ... Pull down your hat--
farther--There! If you won't go as a youngster now I'll eat Dandy
Dale's outfit and get you silk dresses. Ha-ha!"
Joan was not deceived by his humor. He might like to look at her in
that outrageous bandit costume; it might have pleased certain vain
and notoriety-seeking proclivities of his, habits of his California
road-agent days; but she felt that notwithstanding this, once she
had donned the long coat he was relieved and glad in spite of
himself. Joan had a little rush of feeling. Sometimes she almost
liked this bandit. Once he must have been something very different.
They set out, Joan between Kells and Cleve. How strange for her! She
had daring enough to feel for Jim's hand in the dark and to give it
a squeeze. Then he nearly broke her fingers. She felt the fire in
him. It was indeed a hard situation for him. The walking was rough,
owing to the uneven road and the stones. Several times Joan stumbled
and her spurs jangled. They passed ruddy camp-fires, where steam and
smoke arose with savory odors, where red-faced men were eating; and
they passed other camp-fires, burned out and smoldering. Some tents
had dim lights, throwing shadows on the canvas, and others were
dark. There were men on the road, all headed for town, gay, noisy
and profane.
Then Joan saw uneven rows of lights, some dim and some bright, and
crossing before them were moving dark figures. Again Kells bethought
himself of his own disguise, and buried his chin in his scarf and
pulled his wide-brimmed hat down so that hardly a glimpse of his
face could be seen. Joan could not have recognized him at the
distance of a yard.
They walked down the middle of the road, past the noisy saloons,
past the big, flat structure with its sign "Last Nugget" and its
open windows, where shafts of light shone forth, and all the way
down to the end of town. Then Kells turned back. He scrutinized each
group of men he met. He was looking for members of his Border
Legion. Several times he left Cleve and Joan standing in the road
while he peered into saloons. At these brief intervals Joan looked
at Cleve with all her heart in her eyes. He never spoke. He seemed
under a strain. Upon the return, when they reached the Last Nugget,
Kells said: "Jim, hang on to her like grim death! She's worth more than all the
gold in Alder Creek!"