His heart thumped in his breast. This girl, this
prairie-flower, was doing this for him, was risking her life, was
breaking the law for him. If she got through, and handed over the whiskey
to those who were waiting for it, and it got bundled into the boats going
North before the redcoats reached Dingan's Drive, it would be as fine a
performance as the West had ever seen; and he would be six hundred
dollars to the good. He listened to the mules galloping, till the sounds
had died into the distance, but he saw now that his captor had heard too,
and that the pursuit would be desperate.
A half-hour later it began, with MacFee at the head, and a dozen troopers
pounding behind, weary, hungry, bad-tempered, ready to exact payment for
their hardships and discouragement.
They had not gone a dozen miles when a shouting horseman rode furiously
on them from behind. They turned with carbines cocked, but it was Abe
Hawley who cursed them, flung his fingers in their faces, and rode on
harder and harder. Abe had got the news from one of Nancy's half-breeds,
and, with the devil raging in his heart, had entered on the chase. His
spirit was up against them all; against the Law represented by the
troopers camped at Fort Fair Desire, against the troopers and their
captain speeding after Nancy Machell--his Nonce, who was risking her life
and freedom for the hated, pale-faced smuggler riding between the
troopers; and his spirit was up against Nance herself.
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