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.