Slowly he led the horse through the rear gate. They had tied the reins to the saddle-horn. Pointing the animal away from the ranch, he gave it a slap with his open palm, and the animal went trotting away, heading back toward the 6X6.
For a long time they stood there together, watching the hills, and once they saw the animal with its grisly burden, a mile away, still going. Nan’s face was very white as she turned to Rex and held out her hand.
‘Thank you, Rex,’ she said simply.
‘You are welcome, Nan. It was nothing.’
‘But if it was known, we would both go to jail for a long time.’
Rex shuddered slightly. ‘Is that a fact, Nan?’
‘Yes—we must never tell. The law would blame us equally with the one who killed him.’
‘Well, that is all right. I—I mean—it does matter. You see, I don’t want anything to happen to you. I never did touch a dead man before, and my head hurts now, but it is all right. You see, I—I——’
His hands slipped off the fence and he fell in a heap at her feet. Quickly she knelt in the dust of the corral and took his head in her lap. His face was bloodless. She knew she could not carry him to the house. For a moment she hesitated on just what to do, but finally lowered his head to the ground and got quickly to her feet, intending to go to the house after some water, but as she turned toward the gate she saw the sheriff riding up to the corral. It was evident he had seen her, and was coming there instead of to the house.
He rode up along the fence, swinging his hat in his hand, a smile on his face.