“Carberry?”
“Yes. At least, we think it’s from him. One of my little boys brought me a note. Here it is.”
Hugh read the words scribbled on a sheet of torn note paper.
Tell McClintock to look out for trouble near Bell’s Camp. He’ll be caught between two fires if he tries to take Dutch with him.
A Friend.
“What makes you think Carberry wrote this?” asked Hugh.
“Ned described the man who gave it to him,” Budd explained. “He’s sure a ringer for Carberry—even to that red shirt he wears.”
“Might be Tom,” agreed Hugh. “My vote saved his life from the vigilantes at Aurora. Tom’s not such a bad sort.”
“You see we’re safe till we reach Bell’s Camp,” interpreted Vicky. “The sheriff and the gunmen he appoints as deputies will follow behind us and we’ll be driven into the arms of those who come to meet us. That’s the plan.”
“Yes—if Irish Tom wrote this and it’s not a trap.”