"Wha—Ah hed no idee you-all diden know Ah was goin' t' do th' drivin'," returned Jeb, surprised at the others for their lack of comprehension.
It was twelve o'clock that night when all was ready and the great wagon lumbered past the ranch-house. The women were all grouped on the porch, silently praying for the safe transportation of the unfortunate schemers from New York.
"Ah don't suppose we will really know why these men came West until Latimer or Evans gets here to explain," said Mr. Brewster, as the remaining members of the family went indoors.
"Didn't you look through the papers in that leather bag?" asked Mr. Maynard of his host.
"No, not when Ratzger came to and told us who they were. I handed the bag to him and felt I had no right to pry into his secrets—especially as he acted so fearful of the contents of the wallet."
"I suppose they hired those horses from Oak Creek," ventured Mrs. Brewster.
"Doubtless; and I told John to make sure and then ask Ratzger what had best be done to settle for them. If the men have ample means they can pay the damages, but if they haven't, I will pay for them myself," explained Mr. Brewster.
"I don't see why you should! You had nothing to do with their hiring, nor with anything connected with this accident," said Mr. Maynard.
"No, but folks here-abouts stick together more or less, and if one has a loss, the others generally help out. Now I can spare twenty horses from my corral sooner than have a friend in Oak Creek think I had something to do with his loss of two good saddle horses."
"If every one thought and acted like that, Mr. Brewster, we would bring in the millennium without delay," Mr. Maynard remarked.