“I gave yuh my theory, and almost got bit.”
“Saddle yore horse and let’s git goin’. Wait! You take my roan and I’ll ride Ghost. If this horse pulled out on Hashknife, it’s the first time he ever did. I’ll saddle the roan for yuh. He’s kinda foolish about strangers.”
A few minutes later they rode out of the stable and headed for the Box S. Sleepy didn’t know the road very well, but he took the lead, and they went streaking down across the old bridge, where the hoofs of their running horses sounded like the quick roll of a snare-drum.
Nor did they draw rein until they swept into the yard of the Box S. Len and Sailor were in the bunk-house, but came out at the sound of their arrival. In answer to their questions, Len told them approximately what time Hashknife had left there.
“That should have made me meet him,” said Sailor. “I never rode fast. By golly, that makes me wonder! After I left town and was pretty close to the bridge, I thought I heard a shot. I wasn’t sure which direction it was, and when I hit the other end of the bridge my bronco shied at somethin’ in the dark. He’s in the habit of shyin’ thataway, so I yanked him around and went on. It was so danged dark I wouldn’t know I was on the bridge, except that I could hear it under me.”
“That don’t sound so good to me,” said Sleepy. “If somebody bushwhacked my pardner⸺”
“Who in hell would bushwhack him?” asked Sailor quickly.
But Sleepy didn’t answer Sailor’s question. He swung the gray around and said to Len:
“Lend me a lantern, will yuh?”
“I shore will, Stevens; and I’ll go along with yuh.”