From the far bend she looked back—and this time it was to see the two strange denizens of Blue Stone Cañon watching her in the habitual repression and silence of their unnatural lives, but withal so hungrily that the mist swam in her eyes again.
“What’d you find, Nance?” Bud queried when she rode in at home.
“I found a mystery I’m going to unravel,” she answered grimly, “or my name’s not Nance Allison—and I made love to a half-starved little kid—and got all chewed up by a dog—and I heard of a man who’s going to get a piece of my mind some day—now, mark me!”
“Land sake!” said Mrs. Allison in the doorway, “what are they—campers?”
“No—and it looks mighty mysterious to me, Mammy. As soon’s Bud puts Buckskin away I’ll tell you all about it.”
CHAPTER VI
SHADOWS IN THE SHERIFF’S GLASS
The sheriff went back to the store at Cordova and looked the proprietor in the eye.
“McKane,” he said, “is there anything you want to say to me?”
McKane looked at him sullenly.
“Don’t know’s there is,” he answered frankly, “you’re able to answer it if I have, I find. I didn’t wake up for two hours after you left that day.”