"But your own friend, Buck McKee, saw Dick just before the 'Paches killed him."
"But not after it. An' Buck now thinks the Rurales may have come up in time to save him."
"Seems to me if that's so he has had time enough since then to write," objected Polly, who was, nevertheless, impressed by Bud's vehemence.
"How do you know that he has not written?"
Polly could only gasp. These accusations were coming too fast for her to answer.
"You can't tell what a man might do in a case like that. Perhaps Dick's 'way in the mountains, away from the railroad, prospectin' down in the Ghost Range, where he has been tryin' to locate the lost lode. There's lots of reasons for his not writing to Echo. But Echo doesn't seem to mind. A year an' a half is enough to mend any woman's heart."
"Now, you—" began Polly, who was growing angry under the charges which were being heaped on her two best friends by the overwrought boy.
Bud would not let her finish, but cried: "Echo never loved him. If she did she would not be acting like she is goin' to to-night."
Rushing to Echo's defense Polly answered: "She may or may not have loved Dick Lane, but I know that she loves Jack Payson now with all her heart and, even if the 'Paches did not get your brother, he's as dead to her as if they had."
Polly was startled and confused by Bud's accusations. Accordingly, it was a relief to her when Payson appeared on the scene. They had been so interested in their conversation that they did not hear him ride up to the house. "Hello, Polly! Hello, Bud!" were his cordial greetings, for he was determined to ignore his former employee's hostility. Bud did not answer, but looked moodily on the ground.