“I don’t like it,” Lyle answered, “it seems ominous,” and she shuddered visibly.
There was little breakfast eaten that morning, and the group of friends adjourned to the porch on the pretext of watching the weather, thereby attracting the attention of Haight, who still remained at the table.
“What’s in the wind now, I wonder,” he soliloquized.
“There was some kind of excitement here last evening, and everybody seems on the qui vive this morning. I guess I’d better look into this,” and calling Minty to him, he gave her a quarter, with his most insinuating smile, saying in low tones:
“You find out to-day, if you can, whether there’s anything unusual going on among those folks out there, and let me know.”
She pocketed the money with her customary giggle, as she responded, nodding her head emphatically, “You jest betcher life I will.”
Haight then departed for the mills, and Houston soon after left for the mines, while an hour or two later Morton Rutherford, taking one of the horses, rode leisurely in the direction of the Y, where he was to await a telegram from Van Dorn, immediately upon the arrival of the Eastern train at Silver City.
In due time the message came, in cipher:
“Party arrived all right; over on evening train.”
To which Rutherford replied as follows: