Part 15 (1/2)
”He was here a few minutes ago. I expect he is out to the stable.”
Belle sat down. The nervous strain of the past hours was telling on her.
She felt unstrung and vaguely depressed.
The doctor and Mary Bylow went to the stable. The empty stall, with no sign of saddle, bridle, or preacher, were enough. They returned to the house.
In answer to Belle's look the doctor made a gesture, and said simply:
”Gone.”
”Where?”
The doctor shook his head and pointed northward.
”Please tell me all about it, Mrs. Bylow,” said Belle.
”There is times to tell lies,” said Mary naively, ”but this ain't. I'll tell you the whole truth,” and she did in a quivering voice, while tears ran from her eyes.
”Trapped, trapped,” was Belle's only comment. ”Where do you suppose he went?”
”Not to Cedar Mountain,” said Carson, ”that's sure. No one pa.s.sed us.”
Charlie Bylow, coming into the cabin, heard the doctor's last comment.
”He was heading due north and going hard when last we saw him,” was his contribution.
”Dr. Carson, he's headed for Deadwood, and I'm going after him to bring him back.” Belle stood up with sudden decision. The need for action once more present, all her strength responded.
The doctor shook his head. ”I don't think you should go. You know what all the town would say.”
”You are going with me,” was the answer.
”When?”
”Right now.”
”Better go home first.”
”And have a fight with my folks? No, no! We go now. I have an aunt in Deadwood, you know!”
”It's forty-five miles, and we can't get there till midnight, even if my horse holds out.”
”We may overtake him before that,” said Belle, though she knew quite well they would not, for Hartigan would ride like a madman.
It had not been difficult to enlist Carson's sympathies. A sincere friends.h.i.+p had sprung up between the boyish preacher and himself and their total dissimilarity had made them congenial. Carson was amused in his quiet way to note how exactly Belle was moving as he thought best and surest, so now he merely added:
”Deadwood it is,” and with a farewell word to the Bylows they were off.
CHAPTER XX