"No, by heaven! I wish I had. I believe the devil himself has gone in league with the gang at this garrison. I never knew such a string of mishaps in all my life. Say, are you ready to go back?"
"Any time; but I thought you wanted to stay."
"Oh, so did you when you came out, Langston, and now you don't, and I'm simply in the same boat."
The attendant brought him a tall glass and poured the soda hissing into the brandy. Willett drank eagerly, then started for the door. "Come, then," he called; "the trap's ready—or ought to be." Langston knew it was not, so temporized.
"How about Burtis?" he asked.
"Burtis? Oh, I don't know or care. He can get back just the best way he knows how. There's an ambulance coming over to town to-night."
"Well, I think you ought to let him know, Willett."
"I have. I sent him word by Sanders, whom I just left."
"Very well, then I'll go with you now. Only stop one minute at Sanders's so that I can say good-by to him. He goes back to the agency to-morrow, I believe."
"Well, he isn't there. He's gone out to pay a call. Jump in."