“Certainlee not,” sez I. “Ty would see the connection between you and Promotheus at once. He knows ’at The was a deserter, and he would set the law on him in one direction, and try to run him down on his own hook in the other. If you had been on hand while we were discussin’ the plan, you would have had the right to veto it; but now, it looks to me as though Prometheus was the one to consider.”
The Friar sat down and ran his hands through his hair. “I can’t see any way out!” he sez at last; “but I’m forced to admit that since Promotheus has gone down there, it would put him in danger for me to interfere.”
“Well,” sez ol’ Tank, “here is The himself. Now, we’ll know better what to do.”
We looked up, and there was Promotheus with a bruise over his eye, comin’ into our little nook.
[CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX—A SIDE-TRIP TO SKELTY’S]
We all crowded around him, thinkin’ ’at the bruise betokened some sort of trouble; but he said he’d got afraid they’d begin to suspicion him; so he had tried to ride a hoss that day, and had let it buck him off. He said the’ wasn’t much lettin’ needed, as it had been a mean one; but he had got his forehead grazed, and had lain on the ground, claimin’ his back was hurt. It was only about eight o’clock, and we wondered how he had the nerve to come so early; but he said they were havin’ a drinkin’ bout over havin’ dogged a feller by the name o’ Bryce off his claim on Ice Crick, thus gettin’ a new outlet to grass and water.
He said the woman had been mighty good to him after his fall; but that he couldn’t get her to talk about herself at all. “Have you ever mentioned the name of Carmichael to her?” I asked.
“No,” sez he, “why should I?”
“That’s the Friar’s name,” sez I. “He used to preach in a regular church down east, and she sang in the choir. Next time you get a chance, try to draw her out about this.”
The Friar told him a lot o’ small details to ask her about; and went part way back with him, as he wouldn’t stay long for fear o’ bein’ missed. The Friar insisted on stayin’ along with us, while Olaf went back to the Spread.