“Conacher, having seen me come, came hurrying across from the men’s house.”
“Without concealment?”
“Why should there be any concealment? They cannot know that Etzooah is dead. They think Etzooah has told us all.”
“Damnation!” muttered the trader. “I am all in the dark! . . . Go on!”
“Conacher had a gun over his arm. . . .”
“A gun?” echoed Gault in angry alarm.
“A gun. I did not have any talk with Conacher. He left it to the girl.”
“What else did she say?”
“She asked me where we were camped. I replied that we had made but a short stage yesterday, because you were anxious about her. It amused her to hear me lie. She didn’t say anything; but only looked at the three-bar brand on my horse’s flank.”
Gault broke out in furious cursing. “You fool! Why didn’t you change to one of the horses we left here?”