He
saw the boy brace himself, the lithe, strong muscles of his back,
apparent only by the result of their action, swayed balancing against
the jolting, while, with thickly-gloved hands, he grasped the wooden
ledge on which he sat. In front O'Shea was like an image carved of the
same wood as the cart, so firmly he held to it. Well, such hours pass.
After a while they came out upon the soft, dry sand beyond the scrubby
flat, and the horse, with impeded footsteps, trudged slowly.
The sand was so dry, driven by the wind, that the horse and cart sank in
it as in driven snow. The motion, though slow, was luxurious compared to
what had been. O'Shea and the boy had sprung off the cart, and were
marching beside it. Caius clambered out, too, to walk beside them.
"Ye moight have stayed in, Mr. Doctor," said O'Shea. "The pony is more
than equal to carrying ye."
Again Caius felt that O'Shea derided him. He hardly knew why the man's
words always gave him this impression, for his manner was civil enough,
and there was no particular reason for derision apparent; for, although
O'Shea's figure had broadened out under the weight of years, he was not
a taller man than Caius, and the latter was probably the stronger of the
two. When Caius glanced later at the other's face, it appeared to him
that he derived his impression from the deep, ray-like wrinkles that
were like star-fish round the man's eyes; but if so, it must have been
that something in the quality of the voice reflected the expression of
the face, for they were not in such plight as would enable them to
observe one another's faces much.
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