“Was that why you tried to spy on them?” he asked.
“You fought and killed a man over me, didn’t you, Nolan? At least, I might show my appreciation in some way.”
Her mocking laughter came back to him, as she galloped her horse back to the main road. Blaze strode back to his horse and swung into the saddle.
Up to the time when Blaze thus parted from Della of the War Dance Saloon, the meeting inside the JK ranch-house had consisted mostly of general conversation. An even dozen men were gathered in the living-room of the JK, representing all the ranches in that end of the valley, except the Triangle X and the Circle M. The Triangle X was owned by Kendall Marsh, which, of course, was barred from the meeting; and the Circle M, owned by Jules Mendoza, who didn’t figure in the scheme of things; because of his friendship for Blaze Nolan.
Uncle Jimmy Kelton called the meeting to order, and told them of the evidence against Kendall Marsh and Blaze Nolan. This was the first real evidence they had ever had that Marsh really intended sheeping out Painted Valley. They had all suspected his motives in establishing a crew of gunmen at the Triangle X, and buying out the bank in order to control the mortgages, but their evidence had all been circumstantial.
Uncle Jimmy told them of the conversation between Marsh and Blaze Nolan regarding the Lost Trail, explaining why Marsh had secured Nolan’s release from the penitentiary and just what part Nolan was to play in Marsh’s schemes.
“And did Blaze Nolan agree to do this?” asked Sam Hawker, owner of the O Bar B ranch.
“He’s here in the Valley,” replied Uncle Jimmy. “What else would he come here for?”
“I knowed Blaze Nolan a long time,” said Joe Brown, the grizzled little old man, who owned the Bar Anchor, “and it don’t seem that Blaze would do a thing like that. Yuh never can tell about folks, I suppose.”
“He’s pretty cold-blooded,” said Tod Myers. “After the things he’s done—and he probably ain’t got no love for any of us.”