His face showed a graver line. “It couldn’t be helped. The horses had to be followed, and that youngster couldn’t do it—and, besides, I expected to get back that night. Nobody but an old snoop like Seth Belden would think evil of our girl. And, besides, Norcross is a man to be trusted.”
“Of course he is, but the Beldens are ready to think evil of any one connected with us. And Cliff’s assault on Wayland—”
He looked up quickly. “Assault? Did he make trouble?”
“Yes, he overtook them on the trail, and would have killed Norcross if Berrie hadn’t interfered. He was crazy with jealousy.”
“Nash didn’t say anything about any assault.”
“He didn’t know it. Berrie told him that Norcross fell from his horse.”
McFarlane was deeply stirred. “I saw Cliff leave camp, but I didn’t think anything of it. Why should he jump Norcross?”
“I suppose Mrs. Belden filled him with distrust of Berrie. He was already jealous, and when he came up with them and found them lunching together, he lost his head and rushed at Wayland like a wild beast. Of course he couldn’t stand against a big man like Cliff, and his head struck on a stone; and if Berrie hadn’t throttled the brute he would have murdered the poor boy right there before her eyes.”
“Good God! I never suspected a word of this. I didn’t think he’d do that.”
The Supervisor was now very grave. These domestic matters at once threw his work as forester into the region of vague and unimportant abstractions. He began to understand the danger into which Berea had fallen, and step by step he took up the trails which had brought them all to this pass.