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.It was the other horse that Jack had been trailing so long."There was a loose horse hanging around Thurman's place," he said casually."It's him, tagging along, I reckon.""Oh," said Hawkins."That accounts for it."CHAPTER XIXSWAN CALLS FOR HELPPast the field where the horses were grazing and up the canyon on the side toward Skyline Meadow, that lay on a shoulder of Bear Top, the dog nosed unfalteringly along the trail.Now and then he was balked when the hoofprints led him to the bank of Granite Creek, but not for long.Jack appeared to understand why his trailing was interrupted and sniffed the bank until he picked up the scent again."Wonder if she changed off and rode that loose horse," Hawkins said once, when the tracks were plain in the soft soil of the creek bank."She might, and lead that horse she was on.""She wouldn't know enough.She's a city girl," Lone replied, his heart heavy with fear for Lorraine."Well, she ain't far off then," Hawkins comforted himself."Her horse acted about played out when she hit the ranch.She had him wet from his ears to his tail, and he was breathin' like that Ford at the ranch.If that's a sample of her riding, she ain't far off.""Crazy—to ride up here.Keep your eyes open, boys.We must find her, whatever we do." Warfield gazed apprehensively at the rugged steeps on either hand and at the timber line above them."From here on she couldn't turn back without meeting us—if I remember this country correctly.Could she, Hawkins?""Not unless she turned off, up here a mile or two, into that gulch that heads into Skyline," said Hawkins."There's a stock trail part way down from the top where it swings off from the divide to Wilder Creek."Swan, walking just behind Hawkins, moved up a pace."I could go on Skyline with Yack, and I could come down by those trail," he suggested diffidently, Swedishly, yet with a certain compelling confidence."What you think?""I think that's a damned good idea for a square head," Hawkins told him, and repeated it to Warfield, who was riding ahead."Why, yes.We don't need the dog, or the man either.Go up to the head of the gulch and keep your eyes open, Swan.We'll meet you up here.You know the girl, don't you?""Yas, Ay know her pretty good," grinned Swan."Well, don't frighten her.Don't let her see that you think anything is wrong—and don't say anything about us.We made the mistake of discussing her condition within her hearing, and it is possible that she understood enough of what we were saying to take alarm.You understand? Don't tell girl she's crazy." He tapped his head to make his meaning plainer."Don't tell girl we're looking for her.You understand?""Yas, Ay know English pretty good.Ay don't tell too moch." His cheerful smile brought a faint response from Senator Warfield.At Lone he did not look at all."I go quick.I'm good climber like a sheep," he boasted, and whistling to Jack, he began working his way up a rough, brush-scattered ledge to the slope above.Lone watched him miserably, wishing that Swan was not quite so matter of fact in his man-chasing.If Al Woodruff, for some reason which Lone could not fathom, had taken Lorraine and forced her to go with him into the wilderness, Warfield and Hawkins would be his allies the moment they came up with him.Lone was no coward, but neither was he a fool.Hawkins had never distinguished himself as a fighter, but Lone had gleaned here and there a great deal of information about Senator Warfield in the old days when he had been plain Bill.When Lorraine and Al were overtaken, then Lone would need to show the stuff that was in him.He only hoped he would have time, and that luck would be with him."If they get me, it'll be all off with her," he worried, as he followed the two up the canyon."Swan would have been a help.But he thinks more of catching Al than he does of helping Raine."He looked up and saw that already Swan was halfway up the canyon's steep side, making his way through the brush with more speed than Lone could have shown on foot in the open, unless he ran.The sight heartened Lone a little.Swan might have some plan of his own,—an ambush, possibly.If he would only keep along within rifle shot and remain hidden, he would show real brains, Lone thought.But Swan, when Lone looked up again, was climbing straight away from the little searching party; and even though he seemed tireless on foot, he could not perform miracles.Swan, however, was not troubling himself over what Lone would think, or even what Warfield was thinking.Contrary to Lone's idea of him, Swan was tired, and he was thinking a great deal about Lorraine, and very little about Al Woodruff, except as Al was concerned with Lorraine's welfare.Swan had made a mistake, and he was humiliated over his blunder.Al had kept himself so successfully in the background while Lone's peculiar actions had held his attention, that Swan had never considered Al Woodruff as the killer.Now he blamed himself for Frank's death.He had been watching Lone, had been baffled by Lone's consistent kindness toward the Quirt, by the force of his personality which held none of the elements of cold-blooded murder.He had believed that he had the Sawtooth killer under observation, and he had been watching and waiting for evidence that would impress a grand jury.And all the while he had let Al Woodruff ride free and unsuspected.The one stupid thing, in Swan's opinion, which he had not done was to let Lone go on holding his tongue.He had forced the issue that morning.He had wanted to make Lone talk, had hoped for a weakening and a confession.Instead he had learned a good deal which he should have known before.As he forged up the slope across the ridged lip of the canyon, his one immediate object was speed.Up the canyon and over the divide on the west shoulder of Bear Top was a trail to the open country beyond.It was perfectly passable, as Swan knew; he had packed in by that trail when he located his homestead on Bear Top.That is why he had his cabin up and was living in it before the Sawtooth discovered his presence.Al, he believed, was making for Bear Top Pass.Once down the other side he would find friends to lend him fresh horses [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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