“I’ll have to take possession of the nugget,” he said, after a moment of hesitation. “It belongs to the colonel; and I could not acquit myself to him if I did not take it and keep it, now that I see it.”
“But you believe what I say?” the girl implored. “Indeed, Mr. Stevens knew nothing about it.”
The young officer bowed. “We hope we shall not have to be disagreeable to any young lady,” was his gallant statement. He turned to his men. “Jones and Simpson,” he said, “go out and look for that trail which Mr. Stevens says went straight on.”
The men saluted and hurried outside, but they came in shortly.
“Yes, sir, there is a trail going on; but it seems to us, on examination, that the horse now out in front is really the one that made the trail we have so far followed.”
“No, no!” the girl insisted, speaking to the men. “You are mistaken. That trail, made by the horse of the man who threw that envelope to me, leads on past this house.”
The young officer touched his cap to her.
“I am afraid, miss, that it is our unpleasant duty to convey both you and this young man to Fort Cimarron. We regret this, but——”
“Arrest me, too?” she cried, her face becoming ghastly pale.
“It is not an arrest in either case,” was the smooth answer. “But we shall have to ask you and this young gentleman to go with us, and explain this matter to the colonel, just as you have to us. If we should do otherwise, we would not escape severe censure. Believe me, miss, we dislike to do this.”