The latter got heavily to his feet, and came over, kneeling beside the scout, who was working over the woman.
“If you can walk,” said the scout, “you had better hustle out for help and a doctor. How did this happen?”
“Bub—Benson!” Juniper Joe stuttered.
“He did it?”
“Sh—shore thing. How he got into the cabin, I dunno; but the first thing I knowed I heard my wife screech out. It was before light; but I was back in the mine. It brought me running. When I butted through the door thar, not knowin’ what to expect, Benson tripped me, and give me a side-winder behind the ear that done me up fer a while. When I got my thinker to goin’ again, I was hawg-tied like you found me.”
“Benson!”
“That gold you saw me have—he got it, every bit of it.”
“You saw him get it?”
“I was comin’ back to myself, and seen him take it; he done it up in a bag that was over thar; then he let himself out by the door, which he locked behind him.”