“Oh, dear me. I,—I wonder what is to become of us?” moaned the wretched lady. “After what he tried to do to Abel Landover, there is no telling to what lengths he may go in—By the way, has Mr. Landover reported to Captain Trigger that the fellow attempted to shoot him this morning?”
“Of course not, Aunt Julia.”
“Well, I think it is his duty to do so. Captain Trigger should take drastic means to curb this—”
“You forget that Mr. Landover maintains that Captain Trigger and all the other officers are like putty in the hands of Mr. Percival. I am beginning to believe it myself. He—he has got them all hypnotized.”
“He hasn't got me hypnotized!” exclaimed Mrs. Spofford.
“In any case, he is in the saddle,” sighed Ruth.
“He deliberately tried to kill Mr. Landover,” said the other. “Is nothing to be done about it? We heard the shot,—every one heard it. And no one has the courage to say a word about it! What a lot of cowards we are! I don't see why he refuses to let me take the matter up with the Captain. Captain Trigger ought to know the truth.”
Ruth was silent for a moment or two. “It's hard for me to believe, Aunt Julia, that he would attack a defenceless man with a revolver. It—it doesn't seem like him.”
“But you have Abel Landover's word for it, Ruth. The bullet grazed his head. The coward would have killed him most certainly if he had not succeeded in knocking the pistol out of his hand and overpowering him.”
“If I did not believe Mr. Landover to be an absolutely truthful, honourable man, I—” began Ruth, a little furrow between her eyebrows, “well, I might still believe a little in Mr. Percival.”