“I didn’t say kicked, did I?” inquired the other, judicially. “But I rather think I did knee him some.”
“Of course, I read all about his marriage two weeks ago to Miss Aline Hope. Did he bring her out here with him for the honeymoon?”
“If he did, I euchred him out of it. She spent it with me alone in a miner’s cabin,” the other cried, malevolence riding triumph on his face.
“Whenever you’re ready to explain,” suggested Eaton helplessly. “You’ve piled up too many miracles for me even to begin guessing them.”
“You know I was snow-bound, but you did not know my only companion was this Aline Hope you speak of. I found her in the blizzard, and took her to an empty cabin near. She and her husband were motoring from Avalanche to Mesa, and the machine had broken down. Harley had gone for help and left her there alone when the blizzard came up. Three days later Sam Yesler and the old man broke trail through from the C B Ranch and rescued us.”
It was so strange a story that it came home to Eaton piecemeal.
“Three days—alone with Harley’s wife—and he rescued you himself.”
“He didn’t rescue me any. I could have broken through any time I wanted to leave her. On the way back his strength gave out, and that was when I roughed him. I tried to bullyrag him into keeping on, but it was no go. I left him there, and Sam went back after him with a relief-party.”
“You left him! With his wife?”
“No!” cried Ridgway. “Do I look like a man to desert a woman on a snow-trail? I took her with me.”