“Yes, miss, I will not forgit it.”
With this the courier turned away, mounted his horse, and started back upon the trail, while Bonnie Belle said to the driver:
“You are very kind to delay so long for me, and I thank you, Sandy.”
“Never mind the delay, Bonnie Belle, for I can make it up. Are you ready to go on now?”
“Yes.”
“Then jump aboard, Deadshot Dean, and I’ll send the critters ahead lively.”
The miner obeyed, and the coach rolled rapidly on its way.
For some time neither the driver nor the girl spoke. He would not ask her the nature of the letter she had received, unless she chose to reveal it; yet he could guess that it came from her outlaw brother.
On her part, she was wondering how she could confide her secret to Carrol Dean. After a while she decided that she could not tell him all, for it would be his duty to thwart her in her humane intention. So she said:
“Carrol Dean, you have been as a dear, good brother to me, and I hope that I may ever so regard you; but I fear that you will not approve of what I have decided to do.”