And why should his appearance at this time stir Josephine to a pitch of emotion only a little less tense than that roused by her fears of a short time before?
She had told him that Jean was part Indian, part French, and that he "belonged to her." And his coming, he felt sure, was of tremendous significance to her.
He waited impatiently.

It seemed a long time before he heard voices and the sound of footsteps over the edge of the coulee.

He rose to his feet, and a moment later Josephine and her companion appeared not more than a dozen paces from him.

His first glance was at the man.

In that same instant Jean Croisset stopped in his tracks and looked at Philip.
Steadily, and apparently oblivious of Josephine's presence, they measured each other, the half-breed bent a little forward, the lithe alertness of a cat in his posture, his eyes burning darkly.