'Take a rest,' he said, pointing to a fiat stone. 'I'll scout around an' see if I can pick up a landmark.'
He thrust through the scrub, and by the movement of the foliage she saw that he was climbing the wall of the gully; he seemed to be made of steel. She herself, though the food had given her new strength, was exhausted, and glad enough to sit down. She fell to musing on the few moments of panic which had brought such misfortune upon her, and others. One man had died horribly, and perhaps her uncle, lacking her care, had . She would not think of that. Her thoughts came back to her companion in this astounding adventure. She hoped he would not be long, for while she still regarded him as one of the enemy, he created a curious sense of confidence, and the prospect of facing the wilderness alone was terrifying. Her reverie was shattered by the clink of iron against stone, and an amazed expletive.
'My God! it's Beth!'
The familiar voice brought her to her feet. Garstone was staring as though unable to believe his own eyes. Springing from his saddle, he ran to her.
'My dear girl, how in the world do you come to be here?' he cried. 'Bundy, Miss Trenton has returned to life.'
The foreman, followed by Lake, rode up. 'Mighty glad to see you, Miss Beth,' he said, but there was no warmth in tone or look. 'We figured we'd lost you for good an' all.'
'We certainly did,' Garstone agreed. 'How did you escape?'
She gave a brief account, and concluded, 'We are trying to find the cave.'
'Where is this fellow?'
'He went to look for a way.'
'Get under cover, you two; we'll nail him when he comes back,' Garstone ordered.
Too late, the girl remembered that Green belonged to the Circle Dot. 'He saved me from death, and must not be touched,' she protested.
'He forced you to go with him in order to drive a bargain with us.' Garstone invented. 'Also, he is your uncle's foe, and therefore should be yours.'
'Does my life mean so little to you?' she demanded.
'No, but I am not going to let emotion blind you to the truth. That man is a killer; in all probability it was he who wounded Zeb.'
'The truth,' she cried. 'Is it that Uncle was shot by one of his own men, and that Red Rufe was the brother of old Mister Dover?'
'Both are lies,' Garstone said evenly. 'I see that Green has made good use of his opportunity. You have sealed his fate.'
She saw it was hopeless. 'Where is Uncle Zeb?'
'Not far away; Flint is taking care of him.'
Bundy and Lake had already concealed themselves, and their leader was on the point of doing the same when Sudden stepped from the bushes. A glance, and his guns were out, one of them covering the Easterner.
'Tell yore men to come out, with their paws high,' he ordered. 'You have one second to choose between that an' hell, Garstonet'
The eyes of the speaker were chips of blue ice, and the threatened man did not hesitate. He called out, and the hidden pair emerged, biceps cuddling their ears.
'Where's Flint?' Sudden asked the girl.
'I've not seen him,' she replied. 'I'm told he is attending my uncle.'
'An' yu believe it?'
It was Garstone who answered. 'Of course she does. Isn't it natural that Trenton should be with his own people?'
'Who left him with his enemies when it suited their purpose,' was the sarcastic rejoinder. 'Well, Miss Trenton, yu remainin' with yore own people?'
'Certainly. I wish to be with my uncle.'
Sudden nodded, and backed into the middle of the gully, his guns menacing the three men. 'I s'pose yu've stolen the dollars, Garstone, but don't get too brash, mebbe there's another trick to be tabled yet.'
The big fellow's wooden face had changed. 'I think, perhaps, you are right,' he replied. 'We want him alive, Flint.'
At the same instant, the girl--eyes wide with dismay--uttered a warning, 'Behind you.'
Sudden spun round in a flash, and fired. Flint, who had crept upon him unperceived, had his gun out and was in the act of pressing the trigger; the bullet ploughed up the ground a few yards in front of him, and with a howl he dropped the revolver and grabbed a smashed elbow.
The puncher swung his weapon back on Garstone, but that astute person had moved to Miss Trenton's side, and he dared not risk a shot. So, with a scornful laugh, he turned and charged at the wounded man, who, having no stomach for the encounter, jumped away. It was an unlucky move; a gun roared and Flint went down, a bullet in his brain. Sudden sprinted along the gully; he was not pursued.
'Why the devil did you shoot Flint?' Garstone asked angrily, as they gathered round the fallen man.
'He run into it--I was tryin' for Green,' Bundy explained. 'Damn raw work--he was a coupla yards off,' Lake jeered. 'I thought you could shoot.'
'I can, an' I'm ready to prove it.' Threateningly.
The bearded man was not to be bullied. 'Right now, if you want,' he growled.
Garstone interposed. 'Cease squabbling; we're few enough as it is.'
'Yeah, three to divide instead o' four,' Bundy leered.
'Four in place of five--Miss Trenton takes her uncle's share',' the big man corrected, and the look which passed did not escape him. 'Speaking of Zeb, we can't now leave him in the old camp; you two must fetch him.'
'Like hell we will,' Bundy retorted. 'An' you wait here, I s'pose?'
'No, that would ruin our plans--we should arrive in Rainbow too late,' was the cool reply. 'Also, with that cursed cowpuncher at liberty, we may lose all we've gained. Of course, if Trenton should be dead, you can catch us up.'
The inhuman suggestion was not lost upon the pair of rogues. They did not fancy leaving this fellow with the booty, but holding a poor opinion of his courage, they felt confident that they could force him to keep faith. They agreed, and Garstone rejoined the girl, who was impatiently awaiting him. As he expected, her first question was respecting her uncle.
'The journey was tiring him--a rest was imperative,' he explained. 'Flint stayed too, and the poor fellow was doubtless here to report when that scoundrel Green slew him.'
'Green fired once only, and crippled Flint's arm,' she said. 'The fatal shot came from Bundy.'
'Is that so?' he cried, in affected surprise. 'Bundy, of course, would be aiming at Green; Flint was unlucky. I didn't see it; I was so concerned about you--'
'I noticed it,' she said coldly. 'You were saying?
'I am sending the two men back to bring your uncle.'
'Don't we accompany them?'
'No, we have to go on.' He saw mutiny in her eyes and chin. 'It is of vital importance to Trenton, and his wish, that we should get to Rainbow with all speed. You won't mind spending a day or so in the forest with me, Beth, will you?'
'I very much mind further separation from Uncle Zeb,' she fenced.
'It cannot be helped,' he replied, a touch of hardness in his tone. 'I have a duty to him, and intend to fulfil it.'
Which highly virtuous sentiment produced less effect than he had hoped. However, she said no more. Truth to tell, physical weariness, anxiety about the old man who had been good to her, incipient doubts, and a sense of disappointment in one she had almost decided to link her life with, had, for the time, broken the girl's spirit. Certainly, Garstone's welcome had been less warm than she expected, in fact, at that first moment of meeting, he might have been sorry to see her. She told herself that this was absurd, that the shock of encountering a person one had mourned as dead would be numbing, but the feeling remained.
Having disposed of the dead man, Bundy and Lake prepared for their journey. The girl watched them
