‘Shore, he’s all right. Pretty heavy on education, but he’ll get that knocked out of him in a short time. Do yuh know, I’ve got a hunch that Nan thinks quite a lot of him.’
‘She’s sorry for him.’
‘Yeah, and he’s sorry for her. He looks at her like a dyin’ calf in the spring thaw.’
They took care of their horses and wandered back to the house, where they found Nan and Rex on the porch, talking confidentially. Nan seemed very determined about something, and Rex seemed troubled. Hashknife sprawled on the steps and rolled a cigarette.
‘I want to tell you something, Hashknife,’ said Nan. ‘Rex don’t think I should, but——’
‘I wouldn’t,’ said Rex firmly.
‘But I think you boys understand,’ said Nan. ‘Oh, it won’t hurt anything, Rex—not now. We haven’t told anybody, except my father.’
‘Go ahead,’ urged Hashknife. ‘I suppose it’s about findin’ Peter Morgan’s body, ain’t it? And sendin’ it home on the horse?’
Nan gasped, staring at Hashknife. ‘What—why, how did you know?’
‘Guessed it, Nan. Lem found you and Rex in the corral. Rex had fainted. And then Lem found Peter Morgan’s six-gun in the corral. It wasn’t more than an hour or so later that the body of Morgan came to the 6X6.’