"It was a wild night for us, too," laughed the doctor, but without mirth. "Norah disappeared right after dark and we spent most of the night, hunting for her in the rain, and were on our way to Kingsburg, when you nearly ran us all down.
"Norah doesn't know much of what happened, because they had her under all that canvas in the rear end of the wagon-box, but she recognized your voice. Burgoyne was going to take her away with him. The man must be mad."
Bud gulped several times and shut his eyes. Norah had been in that wagon all the time! No wonder Joe Burgoyne had screamed over his loss and knocked the man down.
And he, Bud Conley, had run the gauntlet of that town; yelled like a wild fool and let that team run away, regardless, while Norah was under the canvas in the rear of that wagon-box. He shuddered and opened his eyes.
"You will not leave Eagle's Nest now, will ye?" queried the doctor.
Bud turned his head and looked at Norah. She was smiling at him. He looked up at Grandon.
"Sure, I dunno." He lapsed into his brogue for a moment, "I don't know why I should stay. There's nothin' for me to do here. I'm no longer a policeman."
"Still want to leave the force, Conley?"
"Still—say, what the devil's the matter, Grandon? Am I looney, or did I dream that I resigned?"
Grandon chuckled softly. "You did resign, Conley." It was not like Grandon to chuckle.