have her jailed.

"I reckon we'll listen to explanations now," he said grimly after a
minute of silence interrupted only by her sobs.

The little fist that had struck at his face now bruised itself in
unconscious blows at the bark of the tree. He waited till the staccato
breaths had subsided, then took her by the shoulders and swung her
round.

"You have the floor, ma'am. What does this gun-play business mean?"

Through the tears her angry eyes flashed starlike.

"I sha'n't tell you," she flamed. "You had no right to-- How dared you
insult me as you have?"

"Did I insult you?" he asked, with suave gentleness. "Then if you feel
insulted I expect you lay claim to being a lady. But I reckon that
don't fit in with holding up strangers at the end of a gun. If I've
insulted you I'll ce'tainly apologize, but you'll have to show me I
have. We're in Texas, which is next door but one to Missouri, ma'am."

"I don't want your apologies. I detest and hate you," she cried,

"That's your privilege, ma'am, and it's mine to know whyfor I'm held
up with a gun when I'm traveling peaceably along the road," he
answered evenly.

"I'll not tell you."