But Glen made no reply.  Her eyes were fixed upon the prisoner, and her face was very white, as she turned slightly, as if about to flee into the house.  In another minute Curly was near, and a most wretched figure he presented.  His clothes were torn and his face dirty and bleeding.  He had apparently received severe treatment at the hands of his captors.  He walked with a shambling and unsteady gait, with his eyes fixed upon the ground.  But as he came to where Glen and Reynolds were standing, he suddenly lifted his head, and seeing the two, he stopped dead in his tracks.  For an instant he stared as if he had not seen aright.  Then his face became contorted with a mingled expression of surprise and hatred.  He strained at his bonds in a desperate effort to free himself, but he was immediately checked by his Indian guardians, who caught him by the arms, and hustled him along.  He struggled violently for a few seconds, pouring forth at the same time a stream of blood-curdling oaths, abuse and vile words, which caused Glen to put her hands to her ears, and flee hurriedly into the house, while Reynolds slowly followed.

CHAPTER XV

JIM WESTON

Glen’s mind was greatly agitated as she made her way slowly homeward.  Curly’s presence was the cause of this, as she feared that her father would be so angry with the villain that it would make it hard for Reynolds.  He might imagine that the two were in league with each other, as they were both from Big Draw.  She despised Curly, knowing what a vile loathsome creature he was, and she had a very fair idea why he had ventured across the Golden Crest.  Had he not avowed his affection for her at the dance, and had told her that he would run any risk to meet her again?  How glad she had been that night when Sconda came for her, and she could free herself from her unwelcome and insistent suitor.  And Curly was now a prisoner at Glen West!  She shuddered as she recalled the look on his face when he saw her and Reynolds together.  And his language!  She could not get the terrible words out of her mind.  The meaning of some she did not know, never having heard them before, but she fully realised that they must be very bad, or else Curly would not have used them in his rage.  And should he now escape, there was no telling what his revengeful spirit might lead him to do, either to herself, or to him who was now beginning to mean so much to her.

Thinking thus, she reached the house, and as soon as she entered she knew that her father was at home, for the door of his private room was open.  He was seated at his desk when he turned and saw her.  Springing to his feet, he caught her in his arms, kissed her on both cheeks, and then holding her at the full length of his powerful arms, he looked eagerly and lovingly upon her now flushed and excited face.

“Why, you are getting better looking every day,” he declared.  “Just like your dear mother at her age.  My, my, how the time has gone! and it seems but yesterday that I first met her.  But, there, there, I must not give way to such feelings on this my first night home.  Come, sit by my side and tell me all about yourself, and how things are going at Glen West.”