Nevil stared uneasily. A quick, furtive glance at Seth, who at that moment seemed to be watching his horse, gave an inkling of his passing thought. If a look could kill Seth would certainly have been a dead man.
“So the whole thing’s a dead cinch for her?”
Nevil gave a short laugh.
“You mean—that matter with Little Black Fox. But she brought it on herself. She encouraged him.”
Seth was round on him in a twinkling.
“Maybe he was encouraged—but not by her.”
“Who then?”
There was unmistakable derision in the wood-cutter’s tone. Seth shrugged. A shadowy smile played round his lips, but his eyes were quite serious.
“That’s it,” he said, relapsing into his reflective manner, “the whole thing’s mighty curious. Them law fellers in your country are smartish. They’ve located a deal. Don’t jest know how. They figger that uncle feller is around either this State or Minnesota—likely this one, seein’ the Colonel was comin’ this aways when he got killed. We got yarnin’, an’ he was sayin’ he thought o’ huntin’ out this uncle. I guessed ther’ wa’an’t much need, an’ it might set him wantin’ the dollars. The law feller said he wouldn’t get ’em anyhow—’cep’ the gal was dead. We kind o’ left it at that. Y’ see the whole thing for the uncle hung around that gal—bein’ dead.”