“That’s the tunnel that opens under the house,” said Brick. “They had a slick getaway. When Santel showed up Mostano put the woman and kids into the tunnel and slid the bunk over the trap-door. No wonder Santel didn’t find anythin’.”
“What do yuh reckon he was lookin’ for, Brick?”
Brick squinted at Silent and back toward the house.
“Does seem kinda funny, Silent. I’ll betcha this woman would know—if she made a sneak with the kids.”
“Don’ know,” persisted the woman blankly.
“Is there anythin’ yuh do know?” snorted Silent.
She looked blankly at Silent and turned her gaze back toward the corral.
“My man dead,” she said simply.
They walked over to the corral and looked at Mostano. Either of Santel’s bullets would have killed him. Mostano’s six-shooter was lying in the dust beside the corral, several feet away, proving that he had made an attempt to defend himself, but had dropped the gun as he fell.
“There ain’t nothin’ we can do for him,” observed Brick, “so we’ll just put the body in the house and take this kid back to Marlin.”