June decided to tell her story. “Yes, Dud. He must have seen Jake Houck with me, and when Jake—annoyed me—Bob jumped at him and hit him. Then Jake shot.”
“Lucky he didn’t shoot again after Bob was down,” ventured Dud on a search for information.
In the darkness none of them could see the warm glow that swept across the cheeks of the girl. “I kinda got in his way—and told him he’d better hurry,” she explained.
“Yes, but—Where did you meet Houck? How did he happen to be with you?” asked Larson. “To be on this side of town he must ’a’ slipped through the guards.”
“He never went to the river. I found him under the bed in my room a few minutes ago. Said he ran in there after he left the bank. He wanted me to get him a horse. I wouldn’t. But I knew if he was found cornered he would kill somebody before he was taken. Maybe two or three. I didn’t know. And of course he wouldn’t ’a’ let me leave the room alone anyhow. So I said I’d walk across the park with him and let him slip into the sage. I thought it would be better.”
Dud nodded. “We’d better get the boys on his trail immediate.”
They separated, with that end in view.