Shoe-Bar Stratton - Chapter 17

On the other side of the house Buck ¹ found the mistress of the ranch ² and her two guests standing ³ in a little group beside one of the dusty, discouraged-looking flower-beds. As he appeared they all glanced toward him, and a troubled, almost frightened expression flashed across Mary Thorne's face., ,"Could I speak to you a moment, ma'am?" asked Stratton, doffing ⁴ his Stetson., ,That expression, and her marked hesitation ⁵ in coming forward, were both significant, and Buck felt a sudden little stab of anger. Was she afraid of him? he wondered; and tried to imagine what beastly lies Lynch must have told her to bring about such an extraordinary state of mind., , ,"Should you rather go inside?" she murmured., ,Buck flashed a glance at the two Mannings, still within hearing. "If you don't mind," he answered briefly ⁹., ,The female deer attracts the buck with high-pitched sounds.雌鹿以尖声吸引雄鹿。,He went to work on a ranch.他去一个大农场干活 。