"Yes," she replied.

"Get it," he ordered. "And your hat, too."

Joan went to her room and returned with the designated articles, the

hat being that which she had worn when she left Hoadley.

"That'll do. Put it on--over your face--and let's see how you look."

Joan complied with this request, all the time wondering what Kells

meant.

"I want it to disguise you, but not to hide your youth--your good

looks," he said, and he arranged it differently about her face.

"There! ... You'd sure make any man curious to see you now. ... Put

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on the hat."

Joan did so. Then Kells appeared to become more forcible.

"You're to go down into the town. Walk slow as far as the Last

Nugget. Cross the road and come back. Look at every man you meet or

see standing by. Don't be in the least frightened. Pearce and Smith

will be right behind you. They'd get to you before anything could

happen. ... Do you understand?"

"Yes," replied Joan.

Red Pearce stirred uneasily. "Jack, I'm thinkin' some rough talk'll

come her way," he said, darkly.

"Will you shut up!" replied Kells in quick passion. He resented some

implication. "I've thought of that. She won't hear what's said to

her. ... Here," and he turned again to Joan, "take some cotton--or

anything--and stuff up your ears. Make a good job of it."

Joan went back to her room and, looking about for something with

which to execute Kells's last order, she stripped some soft, woolly

bits from a fleece-lined piece of cloth. With these she essayed to

deaden her hearing. Then she returned. Kells spoke to her, but,

though she seemed dully to hear his voice, she could not distinguish

what he said. She shook her head. With that Kells waved her out upon

her strange errand.

Joan brushed against Cleve as she crossed the threshold. What would

he think of this? She would not see his face. When she reached the

first tents she could not resist the desire to look back. Pearce was

within twenty yards of her and Smith about the same distance farther

back. Joan was more curious than anything else. She divined that

Kells wanted her to attract attention, but for what reason she was

at a loss to say. It was significant that he did not intend to let

her suffer any indignity while fulfilling this mysterious mission.

Not until Joan got well down the road toward the Last Nugget did any

one pay any attention to her. A Mexican jabbered at her, showing his

white teeth, flashing his sloe-black eyes. Young miners eyed her

curiously, and some of them spoke. She met all kinds of men along

the plank walk, most of whom passed by, apparently unobserving. She

obeyed Kells to the letter. But for some reason she was unable to

explain, when she got to the row of saloons, where lounging, evil-

eyed rowdies accosted her, she found she had to disobey him, at

least in one particular. She walked faster. Still that did not make

her task much easier. It began to be an ordeal. The farther she got

the bolder men grew. Could it have been that Kells wanted this sort

of thing to happen to her? Joan had no idea what these men meant,

but she believed that was because for the time being she was deaf.

Assuredly their looks were not a compliment to any girl. Joan wanted

to hurry now, and she had to force herself to walk at a reasonable

gait. One persistent fellow walked beside her for several steps.

Joan was not fool enough not to realize now that these wayfarers

wanted to make her acquaintance. And she decided she would have

something to say to Kells when she got back.




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