"I've known it since the first day I met him."
"Known that he was wanted for murder in Arkansas?"
"Yes."
"And you protected him?"
"I had a reason." She did not explain that her reason was Jack Flatray,
between whom and the consequences of his rustling she had stood.
He pondered that a moment. "Well, Morse, or Bellamy, told me all about it.
Now that Boone has recognized him, the game is up. He's ready to go back
and stand trial if he must. I've communicated with the authorities in
Arkansas and I'll hear from them in a day or two."
"What has this to do with the hold-up?"
"That's right, the hold-up. Well, this fellow Boone got your father to
drinking, and then sprung it on him to rob the stage when the bullion was
being shipped. Somehow Boone had got inside information about when this
was to be. He had been nosing around up at the mine, and may have
overheard something. O' course we know what your father would have done if
he hadn't been drinking. He's straight as a string, even if he does go off
like powder. But when a man's making a blue blotter of himself, things
don't look the same to him. Anyhow he went in."
"He didn't. I can prove he didn't," burst from Melissy's lips.
"Be glad to hear your proof later. He ce'tainly planned the hold-up. Jim
Budd overheard him."
"Did Jim tell you that?"
"Don't blame him for that. He didn't mean to tell, but I wound him up so
he couldn't get away from it. I'll show you later why he couldn't."
"I'm sure you must have been very busy, spying and everything," she told
him bitterly.
"I've kept moving. But to get back to the point. Your father and Boone
were on the ground where the stage was robbed either at the time or right
after. Their tracks were all over there. Then they got on their horses
and rode up the lateral."
"But they couldn't. The ditch was full," broke from the girl.
"You're right it was. You must be some observing to know when that ditch
is full and empty to an hour. I reckon you've got an almanac of tides," he
said ironically.
She bit her lip with chagrin. "I just happened to notice."
"Some folks are more noticing than others. But you're surely right. They
came up the ditch one on each side. Now, why one on each side, do you
reckon?"