“Oh, certainly—­the stage robbery.”

“I wish I’d known that,” said the stranger reflectively, “for I ez good ez rode over jist to tell it to ye.  Ye see John Hale, he sent a note to ye ‘splainin’ matters by a gentleman; but the road agents tackled that man, and left him for dead in the road.”

“Yes,” said Mrs. Hale impatiently.

“Luckily he didn’t die, but kem to, and managed to crawl inter the brush, whar I found him when I was lookin’ for stock, and brought him to my house—­”

“You found him?  Your house?” interrupted Mrs. Hale.

“Inter my house,” continued the man doggedly.  “I’m Thompson of Thompson’s Pass over yon; mebbe it ain’t much of a house; but I brought him thar.  Well, ez he couldn’t find the note that Hale had guv him, and like ez not the road agents had gone through him and got it, ez soon ez the weather let up I made a break over yer to tell ye.”

“You say Mr. Lee came to your house,” repeated Mrs. Hale, “and is there now?”

“Not much,” said the man grimly; “and I never said Lee was thar.  I mean that Bilson waz shot by Lee and kem—­”

“Certainly, Josephine!” said Kate, suddenly stepping between her sister and Thompson, and turning upon her a white face and eyes of silencing significance; “certainly—­don’t you remember?—­that’s the story we got from the Chinaman, you know, only muddled.  Go on sir,” she continued, turning to Thompson calmly; “you say that the man who brought the note from my brother was shot by Lee?”

“And another fellow they call Falkner.  Yes, that’s about the size of it.”

“Thank you; it’s nearly the same story that we heard.  But you have had a long ride, Mr. Thompson; let me offer you a glass of whiskey in the dining-room.  This way, please.”

The door closed upon them none too soon.  For Mrs. Hale already felt the room whirling around her, and sank back into her chair with a hysterical laugh.  Old Mrs. Scott did not move from her seat, but, with her eyes fixed on the door, impatiently waited Kate’s return.  Neither spoke, but each felt that the young, untried girl was equal to the emergency, and would get at the truth.

The sound of Thompson’s feet in the hall and the closing of the front door was followed by Kate’s reappearance.  Her face was still pale, but calm.

“Well?” said the two women in a breath.

“Well,” returned Kate slowly; “Mr. Lee and Mr. Falkner were undoubtedly the two men who took the paper from John’s messenger and brought it here.”

“You are sure?” said Mrs. Scott.

“There can be no mistake, mother.”

“Then,” said Mrs. Scott, with triumphant feminine logic, “I don’t want anything more to satisfy me that they are perfectly Innocent!”