Law ran his eyes over the room, and then asked, sharply, “Where is Mrs. Austin?”

He was answered by Benito Gonzales, who had edged closer.  “She’s not here, senor.”

“Have you notified her?”

Benito shrugged.  “There has been no time, it all happened so quickly—­”

Some one interrupted, and Dave saw that it was the local sheriff—­ evidently it was he who had waved from the speeding machine a few moments before.

“I’m glad you’re here, Dave, for you can give me a hand.  I’m going to round up these Mexicans right away and find out what they know.  Whoever did it hasn’t gone far; so you act as my deputy and see what you can learn.”

When Dave had regained better control of himself he took Benito outdoors and demanded full details of the tragedy.  With many lamentations and incoherencies, the range boss told what he knew.

Ed had met his death within a half-mile of Las Palmas as he rode home for dinner.  Benito, himself on his way to the house, had found the body, still warm, near the edge of the pecan-grove.  He had retained enough sense to telephone at once to Jonesville, and then—­Benito hardly knew what he had done since then, he was so badly shaken by the tragedy.

“What time did it happen?”

“It was noon when I came in.”

Dave consulted his watch, and was surprised to discover that it was now only a few minutes past one.  It was evident, therefore, that Benito had indeed lost no time, and that his alarm had met with instant response.

“Now tell me, who did it?”

Benito flung his hands high.  “God knows!  Some enemy, of course; but Don Eduardo had many.”

“Not that sort of enemies.  There was nobody who could wish to kill him.”

“That is as it is.”

“Haven’t you any suspicions?”

“No, senor.”

“You say Mrs. Austin is gone?”

“Yes.”

“Where?”

“I don’t know.”

Dave spoke brusquely:  “Come, Benito; you must know, for your wife went with her.  Are you trying to keep something back?”

“No, no!  As God is my judge!” Benito declared, “I didn’t know they were going until the very last, and even then Dolores would tell me nothing.  We were having bad times here at Las Palmas; there were stormy scenes yonder in the house.  Senor Ed was drinking again, you understand?  The senora had reason to go.”

“You think she ran away to escape him?”

“Exactly.”

Dave breathed more easily, for this seemed to settle Strange’s theory.  The next instant, however, his apprehensions were doubled, for Benito added;

“No doubt she went to La Feria.”

Law uttered an incredulous exclamation.  “Not there!  Surely she wouldn’t go to La Feria at such a time.  Why, that country is ablaze.  Americans are fleeing from Mexico.”