“I see,” said Murray, thoughtfully. “But he ain’t the kind to run away, Fred.”
“C’rect. But why should he know anything about Sandy coming? We’d ought to see that he avoids ’em, so to speak. You’re goin’ west to-night. You got room, ain’t you?”
“Oh!” Murray chuckled, admiringly. “So that’s the game! Sure, I got room. Where is he goin’, though?”
“Near as I got the location o’ the mine he’s aiming for, it’s in the hills above them lava beds, down beyond Zacaton City and No Agua. You’re goin’ west by the highway, which is north o’ there—a long sight north. But if you were to run a few mile out of your way, you could hit down the Old Fort Tularosa trail, which is an auto road now; you could drop Shea by the Beaver Cañon trail, down within thirty mile o’ home, more or less. I’ll send Sandy and Dorales on to St. Johns after you, savvy?”
For a moment the two men conferred eagerly.
Unobserved by them, meantime, a man had entered the hotel and was standing at the cigar case, at one side of the desk. He was buying cigars. He was roughly dressed, but spoke perfect English. When he turned to the cigar lighter, disclosing his face to view, one could see that he was very swarthy, very dark of colour—an Indian, perhaps.
This man straightened up, puffing at his cigar. His eyes flitted to the little battered suitcase, which reposed on the hat rack, and dwelt there; thus dwelling, his eyes narrowed slightly. He turned and left the hotel.
“Who? Him?” said the hotel proprietor in response to a question from a man near by. “Why, he’s Thomas Twofork; yep, an Injun, from Cochiti pueblo, I hear. Been in town two-three days now. Got money, they say, heaps of it.”
Ignorant of what had transpired in the lobby, Thady Shea was glad when his companions rejoined him and sat down to their interrupted repast. Fred Ross broached the subject of departure; he broached it with elaborate carelessness.
“Bill is headin’ for home right away,” he said, “and he goes within thirty mile, more or less, of where your mine’s located, Shea. If you figger on walking, that would be a good lift. If you go back with me to-morrow, you won’t get near so nigh home.”