“We—we’ll let him—I’ll be all right in a few days. You just tell him I got hurt, will you, Len?”
“Oh, shore.”
After Len left the room Nan wiped the perspiration off her brow and offered up a prayer for this short respite. If Len explained her condition to Baggs it might save her for a few more days.
CHAPTER XXI: AN ULTIMATUM
Hashknife, with seven stitches in his scalp, and bandaged like a turbaned Moslem, was around town, minus his hat. Questions came thick and fast, but he told everybody that it was a mystery to him. He fingered the derringer in his pocket, and wondered whether it belonged to Jack Pollock, who was around the Oasis, still wearing his arm in a sling. Pollock—if he were really Evans—had used a derringer in Redfields. The gun did not bear any identifying mark, and was small enough to conceal in the palm of a man’s hand.
Hashknife tried to remember the two voices he had heard, but the memory was too vague, the voices seemingly too far away, although he could remember what was said. But he decided that the approach of Sailor Jones had hurried them and they had thrown him over the railing of the bridge on the spur of the moment, when otherwise they might have been more critical of his real condition.
Amos Baggs was a little more than just upset that day. He had been to the depot and seen the last train of the day go through to the West, and Nan had not been at the depot. He swore bitterly and went back to his office, trying to think what to do next. He was sure that Len had advised her to stay, in spite of his warning.
If he had seen Len Ayres when the puncher rode up to the front of his office he would have beaten a retreat out through the back door, but he didn’t have time. Len did not waste words, but delivered Nan’s message as briefly as possible. And Amos Baggs almost hugged Len Ayres. The weight of the world lifted from his shoulders.
Len met Hashknife a little later and told him about it, after they had discussed the events of the night before.
“I dunno what struck Baggs,” said Len. “He was so sour and so scared when I went in, and as soon as I told him about Nan sprainin’ her ankle he got real happy. I don’t figure him.”