Ten minutes’ talk with Elmer gave her a deeper understanding of his attitude than she had been able to guess until now.  Spontaneously he had leaned toward Kid Rickard because the Kid was a “killer” and Elmer was a boy; in other words, because young Page’s imagination made of Rickard a truly picturesque figure.  Since Rickard admired Jim Galloway as he had never known how to admire aught else that breathed and walked, Elmer’s eyes had from the first rested approvingly upon the massive figure of Casa Blanca’s owner.  That both Galloway and Rickard were fighting against persecution, were merely individuals wronged by the law and too fearlessly independent to submit to the high hand of sheriff or judge, was easily implanted in the boy’s mind.  Yesterday his fancies were ready to make heroes of Galloway and his crowd, to make of Norton a meddler hiding behind the bulwark of his office, and hounding those who were too manly to step aside for him.  But now Elmer was all at sea, no land in sight.

“A gun in each hand, Sis,” he cried warmly, his cheeks flushed, as the almost constantly recurring picture formed again in his memory.  “And if you could have only seen his eyes!  Talk about hiding behind anything . . . no sir!  And him only one against Galloway and the Kid and Nunez and a whole room full.”

Here was Elmer’s trouble drawn to the surface; he was touched with leaping admiration for the man who lay now in the darkened room, he couldn’t admire both Norton, the sheriff, and Galloway and Rickard, the sheriff’s sworn enemies!  Which way should Elmer Page turn?  Virginia very wisely held her tongue.

Tom Cutter, having conferred with Engle and Struve, left San Juan in the early afternoon, convoying his prisoners to the greater security of the county jail.  It seemed the wisest step, the one which Norton would have taken.  Besides, Galloway insisted upon it and upon being allowed to send a message to his lawyer.

“I am willing to stand trial,” said Galloway indifferently.  “I’ll arrange for bail to-morrow and be back to-morrow night.”

The question which Tom Cutter, Struve, and Engle all asked of themselves and of each other, “Did Moraga get his chance to talk with Galloway?” went unanswered.  There was nothing to do but wait upon the future to know that, unless Moraga, now on his way back to Sheriff Roberts, could be made to talk.  And Moraga was not given to garrulity.

Meantime Patten brought hourly reports of Norton.  He was still in danger, to be sure; but he was doing as well as could be expected.  No one must go into the room except Mrs. Engle as nurse.  Norton was fully conscious, but forbidden to talk; he recognized those about him, his eyes were clear, his temperature satisfactory, his strength no longer waning.  He had partaken of a bit of nourishment and to-morrow, if there were no unlooked-for complications, would be able to speak with John Engle for whom he had asked.