“Has Brown come back?”

“Shore; he ’s in thar now,” and Hicks peered cautiously into the face of his questioner, even while pointing back into the dark cabin.  “He come in a while ago; never said no word ter me, but just pushed past in thar ter the bed, an’ kneeled down with his face in the bed-clothes.  He ain’t moved ner spoke since.  I went in onct, an’ tried ter talk ter him, but he never so much as stirred, er looked at me.  I tell yer, Mr. Winston, it just don’t seem nat’ral; ’t ain’t a bit like Stutter fer ter act in that way.  I just could n’t stand it no longer, an’ had ter git out yere into the open air.  Damn, but it makes me sick.”

“This has been a terrible night,” the younger man said gravely, laying his hand upon the other’s shoulder.  “I hope never to pass through such another.  But we are not done with it yet.  Hicks, Farnham has been killed—­shot.  His body lies over yonder in that little cove, just beyond the trail.  You will have to attend to it, for I am going to get his wife away from here at once.”

“You are what?”

“I am going to take Miss Norvell away—­now, to-night.  I am going to take her across to Daggett Station, to catch the east-bound train.”

Hicks stared at him open-eyed, the full meaning of all this coming to his mind by degrees.

“Good God!  Do yer think she did it?” he questioned incredulously.

Winston shook him, his teeth grinding together savagely.

“Damn you! it makes no difference what I think!” he exclaimed fiercely, his nerves throbbing.  “All you need to know is that she is going; going to-night; going to Daggett Station, to Denver, to wherever she will be beyond danger of ever being found.  You understand that?  She ’s going with me, and you are going to help us, and you are going to do your part without asking any more fool questions.”

“What is it you want?”

“Your horse, and the pony Mercedes was riding.”

Hicks uttered a rasping oath, that seemed to catch, growling, in his lean throat.

“But, see yere, Winston,” he protested warmly.  “Just look at the shape your goin’ now will leave us in yere at the ‘Little Yankee.’  We need yer testimony, an’ need it bad.”

Winston struck his hand against the log, as slight vent to his feelings.

“Hicks, I never supposed you were a fool.  You know better than that, if you will only stop and think.  This claim matter is settled already.  The whole trouble originated with Farnham, and he is dead.  Tomorrow you ’ll bury him.  The sheriff is here, and he’s already beginning to understand this affair.  He stands to help you.  Now, all you ’ve got to do is to swear out warrants for Farnham’s partners, and show up in evidence that tunnel running along your lead.  It’s simple as A B C, now that you know it’s there.  They can’t beat you, and you don’t require a word of testimony from me.  But that poor girl needs me,—­she’s almost crazed by this thing,—­and I ’m going with her, if I have to fight my way out from here with a rifle.  That’s the whole of it—­either you give me those horses, or I ’ll take them.”