“That is due to the trouble with Indians?”
“Precisely; sometimes it’s a long, roundabout course that I have to take, which may keep me off the main course for a couple of days, or it may be for only a part 190 of the day, but Injins is something that you must count on every time.”
“And they are as likely to meet them as we?”
“More so, ’cause they’re just ahead of you. Oh, it was the biggest piece of tomfoolery ever heard of for them to start on such a journey, but what are you to expect of two young persons dead in love with each other?”
This was not the kind of talk that was pleasing to the father, and he became morosely silent. It was equally repugnant to Ruggles and the parson to hear Nellie Dawson referred to as being in love with the execrated officer. Ruggles was grim and mute, and the parson deftly drew the conversation in another direction.
“I would like to ask you, Vose, how it was that Lieutenant Russell did not take the other horses with him, so as to make it impossible for anything in the nature of pursuit?”
“There might be two reasons; he may have thought it would be mean to hit you below the belt like that; he was too honorable––”
“It warn’t anything like that,” fiercely interrupted Ruggles.
“Then it must have been that if he had took all the animals with him, even though they was a considerable way down the gulch, the thing would have been noticed 191 by others, who would have wanted to know what it meant.”
“No doubt you have struck the right reason. Had the start been in the night time, he would have made sure that not even the mules were left for us. But, Vose,” added the parson gravely, “we would be much better pleased if when you referred to the lieutenant, you said nothing about ‘honor.’”