"Now we're all right and comfy," she announced breathlessly, when the first fight was over and Rattler, like his master, had yielded to the inevitable. "And we know who's boss, and we're all of us squindiciously happy, because we're headed for home. Aren't we, buckaroo?"
"I suppose so," Ward mumbled doubtingly, for a moment eyeing her sidelong. He was not quite over his scare yet.
"And say, buckaroo!" Billy Louise reined close, so that she could reach out and pinch his arm a little bit. "Soon as your leg is all well, and you're every speck over the hookin'-cough, why--you can be the boss!"
"Can I?"
"Honest, you can. I've"--Billy Louise had the grace to blush a little--"I've always thought I'd love to have somebody bully me and boss me and 'buse me. And I--" Her lips twitched a little. "I think you can qualify. What was that you said just as I was getting on the second time? I was too busy to listen, but--"
"But what? I don't remember that I said anything." Ward got hold of her free hand and held it tight.
"Oh, yes, you did! It was sweary, too."
"Was it?"
"Yes, it was. You sweared at Flower of the Ranch-oh."
Billy Louise stopped at that, since Ward refused to be baited. She sensed that there were bigger things than a "sweary" sentence in the forefront of her buckaroo's mind. She waited.
They came to the gate, and Billy Louise freed her hand from his clasp and dismounted, since it was a wire gate and could not be opened on horseback. She closed it after him, looked to her cinch, tightened it a little, patted Rattler forgivingly on the neck, caught the horn with one hand and the stirrup with the other, and went up quite like a man, while Ward watched her intently.
"'In sooth, I know not why you are so sa-ad,'" murmured Billy Louise, when she swung alongside in the trail.
Ward caught her hand again and did not let go; so they rode hand in hand down the narrow valley.
"I was wondering--" he hesitated, drawing in a corner of his lip, biting it, and letting it go. "Wilhemina, if old Lady Fortune takes a notion to give me another kick or two, just when life looks so good to me--"
"Why, we'll kick back just as hard as she does," threatened Billy Louise courageously. "Don't let happiness get on your nerves, Ward."