the Drift Fence (1992) Read Online Free Page B
Author: Zane Grey
and sighed. Would she ever come back to Flagerstown? And if so, could it ever be so wonderful?
"That's a long while yet," he returned, and smiled again, with a meaning which made Molly's heart jump. "I haven't heard, but of course there'll be a dance tonight. And you'll be going?"
Molly nodded. She had begun to be conscious of confusing sensations.
"I'll bet every blame cowboy at this rodeo has a dance with you," he declared, jealously.
"Not quite."
He gave her a long gaze that began in doubt and ended with trust. Molly felt that he knew every last thing in the world about her and she wanted the earth to open and swallow her.
"I don't care for these town dances," he said. "But I'm going to this one--if it's true you're not engaged for every dance."
"To tell the truth I--I haven't one single dance yet," she replied.
"Well! Then your best fellow isn't here?"
"He doesn't happen to exist," said Molly, wistfully. Like all the others, he had taken her for somebody, and if he knew she was only Molly Dunn of West Fork he would not be so nice.
"Listen. This is a serious matter," he rejoined, gravely. "Young ladies aren't always to be believed."
"I wouldn't lie to anyone," retorted Molly.
"Honest! You haven't a best fellow?"
"I haven't any fellow," replied Molly, blushing rosily. "I'm only sixteen. Do you think me as old as Methuselah?"
"Your age hadn't occurred to me. But I'd have taken you for eighteen, anyhow. It really doesn't matter... Have you been in Flag lately?"
"Not for years. I was a little girl."
"Will you dance with me tonight?" he asked, without any pretence.
"Yes," replied Molly, equally sincerely.
"How many times?"
"I--I don't know about that. You see, I'm not used to city dances."
"Oh, it'd be quite proper, if that worries you. You see I might be taken for your best fellow. I'd sure like, that... Would you?"
"It'd not be terribly disagreeable to me," said Molly, archly, and after a roguish glance she looked away.
But he responded to that differently from what she might have expected.
"Thank you," he rejoined, and stood up, with his gray eyes alight. "Save some dances for me. Good-bye, Miss Cibeque."
He strode away and led his horse in the direction of the corrals. Molly stood there tingling, to be disturbed by the arrival of Mrs. See.
"I had one last customer," said Molly, as if apologizing for the delay.
"Child, everythin' closed at one. The rodeo is on," returned Mrs. See.
"Hurry now, but don't forget the cash. We'll turn that over to Mrs.
Price... You've been a success, Molly. An' I'm tickled."
They hurried into the crowded stand, where someone had kept seats for them; and straightway Molly became absorbed in her first rodeo. After that, time meant nothing. The horse-races left her weak and quite husky, for she yelled in unison with everybody else present. The staid Mrs. See hit a fat gentleman on the head with her umbrella, and that was only a minor indiscretion observed by Molly.
Then came exhibition trick riding by experts of the range. Molly could ride a horse herself and she knew what good horsemanship included, but this riding went far beyond anything she could have imagined. One rider, bareback, rode at full speed, and he slipped all over his horse, even underneath. But that appeared less wonderful than the splendid rider who rode two race-horses, standing with one foot on the bare back of each.
Molly thrilled to her toes at that performance.
The roping of calves was not new to her, though she had never believed such swift time possible. The roping of two-year-olds was a sterner game.
Next after that came the riding of bucking bronchos. In any horse country there are bound to be some mean horses, and Molly imagined she had seen a few. But she had not even known what a mean horse was like. There was a black devil of a mustang with rolling white eyes that simply made the cold chills run over Molly. Buck! He went six feet into the air, doubled up, and came down stiff-legged. And
"That's a long while yet," he returned, and smiled again, with a meaning which made Molly's heart jump. "I haven't heard, but of course there'll be a dance tonight. And you'll be going?"
Molly nodded. She had begun to be conscious of confusing sensations.
"I'll bet every blame cowboy at this rodeo has a dance with you," he declared, jealously.
"Not quite."
He gave her a long gaze that began in doubt and ended with trust. Molly felt that he knew every last thing in the world about her and she wanted the earth to open and swallow her.
"I don't care for these town dances," he said. "But I'm going to this one--if it's true you're not engaged for every dance."
"To tell the truth I--I haven't one single dance yet," she replied.
"Well! Then your best fellow isn't here?"
"He doesn't happen to exist," said Molly, wistfully. Like all the others, he had taken her for somebody, and if he knew she was only Molly Dunn of West Fork he would not be so nice.
"Listen. This is a serious matter," he rejoined, gravely. "Young ladies aren't always to be believed."
"I wouldn't lie to anyone," retorted Molly.
"Honest! You haven't a best fellow?"
"I haven't any fellow," replied Molly, blushing rosily. "I'm only sixteen. Do you think me as old as Methuselah?"
"Your age hadn't occurred to me. But I'd have taken you for eighteen, anyhow. It really doesn't matter... Have you been in Flag lately?"
"Not for years. I was a little girl."
"Will you dance with me tonight?" he asked, without any pretence.
"Yes," replied Molly, equally sincerely.
"How many times?"
"I--I don't know about that. You see, I'm not used to city dances."
"Oh, it'd be quite proper, if that worries you. You see I might be taken for your best fellow. I'd sure like, that... Would you?"
"It'd not be terribly disagreeable to me," said Molly, archly, and after a roguish glance she looked away.
But he responded to that differently from what she might have expected.
"Thank you," he rejoined, and stood up, with his gray eyes alight. "Save some dances for me. Good-bye, Miss Cibeque."
He strode away and led his horse in the direction of the corrals. Molly stood there tingling, to be disturbed by the arrival of Mrs. See.
"I had one last customer," said Molly, as if apologizing for the delay.
"Child, everythin' closed at one. The rodeo is on," returned Mrs. See.
"Hurry now, but don't forget the cash. We'll turn that over to Mrs.
Price... You've been a success, Molly. An' I'm tickled."
They hurried into the crowded stand, where someone had kept seats for them; and straightway Molly became absorbed in her first rodeo. After that, time meant nothing. The horse-races left her weak and quite husky, for she yelled in unison with everybody else present. The staid Mrs. See hit a fat gentleman on the head with her umbrella, and that was only a minor indiscretion observed by Molly.
Then came exhibition trick riding by experts of the range. Molly could ride a horse herself and she knew what good horsemanship included, but this riding went far beyond anything she could have imagined. One rider, bareback, rode at full speed, and he slipped all over his horse, even underneath. But that appeared less wonderful than the splendid rider who rode two race-horses, standing with one foot on the bare back of each.
Molly thrilled to her toes at that performance.
The roping of calves was not new to her, though she had never believed such swift time possible. The roping of two-year-olds was a sterner game.
Next after that came the riding of bucking bronchos. In any horse country there are bound to be some mean horses, and Molly imagined she had seen a few. But she had not even known what a mean horse was like. There was a black devil of a mustang with rolling white eyes that simply made the cold chills run over Molly. Buck! He went six feet into the air, doubled up, and came down stiff-legged. And
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