CHAPTER XXIV
A WASTED BULLET
Then Dorothy did an astonishing thing—for her. She leaned over and kissed Garry with such an air of faith and trust that Tavia turned away. She had a horrible suspicion that she was going to cry.
But the sudden appearance of Hank Ledger and others of the ranch hands saved Tavia from that fate.
After one long look at Dorothy, in which she could read many things, Garry turned to the newcomers. He rapidly went over the details of Joe’s disappearance and enlisted their aid in carrying out a more thorough search than had yet been made.
Dorothy thrilled when she saw how ready they all were to back him up. But Garry knew that it was not only for him or for Dorothy or for Joe that they so readily promised their help, although he had reason to believe that they were all friends of his, but because they one and all hated Larrimer and his gang with a deadly hatred and welcomed the chance to even up some old scores.
There was one young “broncho buster,” a strapping lad in his early twenties, who testified to having seen a boy and two men riding toward the mountains.
Garry whirled on him swiftly.
“Who were these two men?” he demanded.
The young fellow shook his head sadly.
“I sure would give a barrel of money to be able to honestly tell you that, boss,” he answered. “I tried to get up to them, but they was goin’ all-fired fast and when they saw me they continued on the way they was goin’, only about three times as fast.”