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The whole "court," which was sojourning with a well-to-do ranchman a couple of miles out of town, had arrived, plentifully wrapped up in mufflers of every color of the rainbow.
With a hired horse he might reach Debbleby's by late bedtime; and after a night spent with the old ranchman he could ride on across the big mesa to the capital. Another ineffectual attempt to find out how soon the relief train from the capital might be expected decided Blount.
They were nearing another stand, the ranchman, astride his pony, stood against the sky like a bronze bit of sculpture. As they came within speaking distance Scip, drawing in his horse, said. "I's goin' to loaf aroun' heah a bit, Massa Dan, I'll wait fer you." "All right," responded Dan, who gave his horse the spurs and swiftly disappeared behind the swell of land.
"I didn't see any outlet, yet water keeps running into the pool all the time." "There must be some underground stream into which it empties," replied the ranchman. "There are two such subterranean rivers in these hills, and, I suppose this pool connects with one of them." Discussion of such phenomena was prevented by his continuing: "Hurry now and pack up.
"He'll fix it," said Shiner, from the platform of the caboose, while his eyes sought the face of the tall young fellow at Cullin's back. Cullin strode to the corner of the office and followed the ranchman with curious eyes. That sun-tanned, bow-legged person straddled down the back steps, his big spurs jingling, a high boot-heel catching on next to the lowermost and pitching him forward.
At the mention of Hans the four lads looked at one another in dismay. But the ranchman came to the rescue, saying: "From all Larry and Tom say, I don't reckon he'll be keen on hunting. You can let him help Ned." "Ned's our handy man," explained Horace in a whisper. "He drives the grub wagon to Tolopah, and to the boys in their camps." "Well, here comes the wagon now," observed Mrs.
Judson knew nothing about the letter in which Flemister had promised to arrange for a meeting between Lidgerwood and the ranchman Grofield. What he did know was that he had followed Hallock almost to the door of Flemister's office, and that he had seen a shadowed face on the office window-shade which could be no other than the face of the chief clerk.
Chester had accompanied Bob and Ford to the cowboys' station, and when they saw that the dog showed no signs of returning, Yellow Tom called out: "Hey, you Ford. Take this cur of yours with you or I won't stay on the job another minute." The ranchman, however, either did not hear or pretended not to, and after a minute Bob said: "Mr. Ford has given Chester to me."
Not only had the ranchman been able to turn another trick in the game by escaping, but he had also evaded Moran's intended vengeance, for the latter had had no thought of letting his prisoner go alive. He had meant first to secure Wade's signature, and then to make away with him so cleverly as to escape conviction for the act.
It might well be that the ranchman was in desperate case and in need of immediate help to save his family. Anyhow, the decision was out of his hands. The horses pounded forward and swept round a curve of the gulch into sight of the ranch. In a semicircle, crouched behind the shelter of boulders and cottonwoods, the Indian line stretched across the gorge and along one wall.
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